Climb Every Mountain
by OZ x OZ
Summary: Trapped in the Death Game of Sword Art Online, Ikezawa Kazuma, one of the saviors during the Love Machine crisis and famed King Kazma of the OZ Fighting Circuit finds himself having to climb a new mountain. Will he survive?
1. Prologue: Where is love?

**I do not own Sword Art Online nor Summer Wars. Reki Kawahara and Mamoru Hosada do.**

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October 2nd, 2022

-X-

In the arena, the fighters clashed. The crowds cheered their battles, their deaths, like the gladiators of Ancient Rome.

But these fighters weren't human. Nor did they fight with sword or shield.

An anthropomorphic duck in an admiral's coat was sent flying, landing in a heap on the arena floor. The word K.O. appeared, hovering under him in big black letters.

In the safety of his room, far from the carnage, Ikezawa Kazuma's fingers flew across his laptop keyboard. To any onlooker he was button-mashing like a toddler. But the tan-skinned, dark-haired fourteen year old boy was doing no such thing.

Back in the arena, the melee was down to two. A giant centipede, made out of Knight armor and swords, collapsed under a roundhouse kick from a white-furred anthropomorphic rabbit. With a tuft of blonde hair, clad in a raggedy red vest and jeans, his waist encircled by a gold championship belt, the survivor stood tall as the K.O. sign appeared, and icons popped up all around him.

NEW RECORD! 134th consecutive victory in the OZ Fighting Circuit!

King Kazma!

King Kazma looked up, eyes hard and stern, as he saw the text bubbles clustered around the arena as it drifted through the white emptiness of OZ. Around the arena creatures of every shape and size cheered, and the text bubbles coming in from people watching LiveStream popped up like fireworks.

This was King Kazma, the best fighter in all OZ, the virtual social network of the world. In this world, he was King of Kings, holder of dozens of accolades and records.

Longest Win Streak. 134.

Fastest K.O. Six seconds.

Longest Match Time. Thirty minutes and forty-five seconds.

Fastest 100-Horde Clear Time. Thirty-two seconds.

Thirteen time OZ FC Champion. In contrast, the closest competitor only had four wins under his belt.

King Kazma ignored the bubbles of his audience and the cheering, as he warped out of the arena and onto a platform overlooking the vast white universe that was the world of OZ.

"Splendid work," said a gravelly voice nearby. The rabbit turned his head and saw another avatar, one he knew well. It was a squid clad in black shinobi garb, with two katanas by his waist. "134 straight victories isn't an easy feat."

"It felt like it to me," said the white rabbit as he saw the arena disappear in a cloud of pixels, other OZ Avatars flying off to mind their own business. He looked down at his hand. "This has gotten too easy for me now."

"Too easy?" asked the squid, amused. "Have you been trying to set up matches with lower ranked opponents?"

"No," King Kazma sighed. "I queue up for the matches that have the best opponents but…I guess you trained me too well, Sensei."

"Ha! You say that as if it's a bad thing Kazuma-kun!" The squid laughed. "Can't have too much of a good thing, no? For instance, once upon a time during the days of-"

"I get it grandpa," King Kazma flapped his hand, hoping to stop his grandfather from going on another retelling of their family's war stories. "Don't go on another rant. I've heard them dozens of times already."

"There's nothing wrong with brushing up on old history! Our clan has a proud heritage and you should be proud of it too! The Jinnouchi Clan has prospered thanks to our ancestors and we must do our part to honor them and look to our future for years to come!"

King Kazma sat up, looking down at the shorter avatar. "Yeah. Sure. Anyways, I-"

Back in the real world, Kazuma gritted his teeth at a particularly annoying and annoyingly familiar sound. Looking out of his bedroom, he heard the sounds of his mother cooing at the source of the sound and trying to calm it down.

His two-month old little sister: Ikezawa Chiyo.

"Chiyo-chan I presume?" asked the squid avatar. King Kazma sighed.

"Yeah, she's making another fuss. I'm gonna log out, knowing mom she will need help…again." He turned back towards the squid. "I'll see ya around Mansuke-sensei."

"Kazuma-kun." He bowed in farewell.

In his darkened room, Kazuma logged out of OZ and walked into the main hallway.

"Kazuma!" called out his mother's voice. "I need-"

"On it." Kazuma replied in an annoyed tone. He stalked down the corridor towards the cabinet where the diapers were kept. He took one, then headed downstairs to the living room.

There, Ikezawa Kiyomi was seated on the couch with little Chiyo in her arms, a putrid smell hanging in the air. He handed the diaper to her, and the mother went into the bathroom, without so much as a word of thanks. Kazuma glanced after her.

"Easy now Chiyo-chan…it's okay now." She sounded exasperated, almost as much as he felt.

'What else is new,' he thought to himself darkly as he walked into the kitchen to grab a cup of water.

It has been three months since the end of the Love Machine Crisis that crippled OZ's systems and sent the world into bedlam. During that time, they had conducted the proper funeral for the late-matriarch of the Jinnouchi Clan: Jinnouchi Sakae. Chiyo had been born a few months later in August. Kazuma's birthday, in that same month, had been little but an afterthought; not just for his parents, but the majority of his family. They were just too focussed on mourning Sakae, and the arrival of Chiyo.

At least Kenji and Mansuke-Sensei had had the decency to wish him a happy birthday. But his own parents? They were happier to spend time with that faeces-spewing, food spitting, endlessly-screaming monstrosity called an infant. Kazuma hadn't minded at first, for his sister needed to be cared-for. But he hadn't expected to be all but forgotten by his family, aside from cousin Natsuki's boyfriend and his grandfather, for over two months.

His father, Ikezawa Kyosuke, had gotten a promotion shortly after the Crisis; one that allowed him to work in Hong Kong for a big-time International Firm. That left him and his mother to live on their own in Fukuoka, Japan. Kazuma was the 'man of the house', and he was starting to hate his new role. He obeyed his mother's constant requests for help, but was barely recognized. When he didn't, she turned into a banshee and screamed at him as if he had thrown down a 125,000 yen piece of china to the ground and trampled on it.

He downed the cup of water, the crying berating his ears once more, then headed back to his room and plopped down on his bed. Ever since that…that…

He had some wicked names for her, but dared not speak them. He rolled over and flipped open his laptop, the ear-splitting crying had dimmed, but only a little. Kazuma thought of helping his mother down there, maybe offering assistance…

"No. This is karma," he said bitterly. She has been ignoring him all for the sake of her. He never wanted a little sister. He never even asked for one. This was on her shoulders. She made her bed, she could sleep in it.

He was tempted to log back into OZ, maybe to give another match a go before bed time. But something stopped him, and Kazuma knew it well.

It was boredom. He knew the end result of logging back onto OZ.

Log on. Go to the FC. Queue for matches. Win with no effort because he is just that damn good. Log out. The monotony was getting annoying. How in the world could he free himself from it?

He had been overjoyed when he first came to OZ and the FC. He had vowed to be the best, and the Shaolin Kung-Fu taught to him by Mansuke had made him the best. It had made him unbeatable, both in the game and out in the real world.

He paused. Maybe a new game was what he needed. But could anything really match up to the OZ FC? The variety and uniqueness of the fights and competitors; could anything match that?

Kazuma opened up an internet search engine and typed: "New…upcoming…games…" Chiyo had quieted down, and he could hear his mother going from overwhelmed and desperate parent to kind and doting. He didn't even hear a single mention of his help.

He let out a growl, but decided to ignore it, and focussed his attention on the screen. There were a few sports events, but then an E3 link caught his attention.

The most ambitious MMO yet! Sword Art Online Pre-Orders are out!

"Sword Art…Online?" he asked aloud. What was Sword Art Online?

Kazuma did another search, and what he found floored him. Sword Art Online or SAO for short, was a Virtual Reality Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game, or VRMMORPG, to be released on November 6th that year. With the NerveGear, a virtual reality helmet that stimulates the user's five senses via their brain, players could experience and control their in-game avatars with their minds.

In many ways it was similar to OZ, but also very different. OZ was something used in everyday life, with a focus on social networking and helping businesses. This SAO, on the other hand, was for the sole purpose adventuring in a fantasy world; unlike any other released. It was also the first MMO of its kind to tackle the Virtual World. SAO would also not have any magic, something incredibly hard to do in a Fantasy world.

Kazuma did another search, and found forums and message boards raving about this game and how life-like it was. He felt the corners of his mouth curve up in a grin. He remembered this sensation. It was like when he first found out about the OZ FC, a place where he could hone his skills and become king of the world. .

But this world of SAO, this 'Aincrad', sounded like an experience like no other. Weapons of all shapes and sizes? A fantasy world without magic? He was hooked.

He searched the shopping websites, and found the SAO was available on pre-order. He opened another tab to check his bank account. He had been saving his allowance and birthday money for some time, but was it enough?

Kazuma tallied the prices; a pre-order of SAO, and the NerveGear headset. His face split into a wide smile; he had more than enough. He pulled his Debit card from his wallet, and started typing.

-X-

November 6th 2022

Kazuma wiped his brow as he looked upon his new 'battle station,' as other people called their computer dens. Next to his PC he had the NerveGear connected to his PC brain, and his bed close by. He had finished installing his brand new copy of Sword Art Online no less than an hour ago. He had gotten there early, around six in the morning via bus to the closest game store. Thankfully, Fukuoka wasn't Tokyo so the line didn't extend for miles, and only one person was camped out.

He heard his mother tending to Chiyo downstairs as he laid down in the bed. At last he would have a place to escape to, a place without his family playing favourites, and without that parasite. He could climb a new mountain, just as he did in the land of OZ. Ikezawa Kazuma will become the best in the Castle in the Sky.

He connected the port into his PC brain and put on the helmet. His brown eyes looked up into the ceiling past the NerveGear visor, seeing the battery at full charge and the clock ticking in the right side of his visor. Kazuma heard the whirring sound of the device and took a deep breath, grinned, and closed his eyes.

"Link Start!"

-X-

**Welp. Sorry Words, Never Alone, and CMM fans, but my muse is a fickle mistress.**

**I watched Summer Wars on Toonami some while ago and saw the review by gigguk and I LOVED this movie. Combined with me watching SAO and getting into a love-hate relationship, I figured "What kind of idea could I use to combine these two verses?"**

**And Climb Every Mountain was born.**

**Major thanks to Nameless2210 and Juubi-k for beta-reading and editing.**


	2. I've Only Got Myself To Blame

I do not own Sword Art Online nor Summer Wars. Reki Kawahara and Mamoru Hosada do.

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_November 6th 2022_

He floated in the white nothingness, bright colorful rods rushing past him.

There were some circles… Touch, sight, hearing, taste, smell. All the sensory link-ups reported their status as okay.

The interface language was set as Japanese.

With the basics of the VR interface set-up, Kazuma began to go through the motions of creating his account. Rather easy really, much easier than OZ's account creation. Just an email address, name, address, and so forth.

Best of all? The game was free to play! No need to strain his allowance or tap into his limited savings.

He quickly inputted his account info and his password, and proceeded with the character creation process as the relevant pages appeared before him:

**Gender: Male.**

'Like I'm gonna like one of those NEETs that play as girls. Why do they do that? To touch themselves while-' Kazuma abruptly stopped that train of thought before it could lead him to places he was not yet comfortable with, and instead moved onto the next step of the character creation set up.

**Hair: Blonde.**

**Eyes: Red.**

**Name:_**

'_A name…_' Kazuma pondered. Should he put in King Kazma, the name he used back in OZ? The name that identified him as king of the ring?

No, this was a fresh start. A clean slate. No need to associate himself with his OZ Avatar.

'_But the name is soooo cooool_!' He griped to himself. Sighing, Kazuma began to think. What could serve as a good name?

Lord Kaz? No, too Orc-ish. He hated orcs, no thanks to wandering to that one hentai site and that obsession Western OZ Avatars had with some orcs from some old tabletop game who bastardized the English language and loved guns.

Makza? No, that was too girlish. He'd already had some people IRL mistake him for a girl from a distance or because they had poor eyesight. Besides, he wasn't gonna make a female Avatar anyway.

Think think think…

King Kazma… Ou is King…OuKazma…Kazmao…KazmaO?

'_Got it_!'

**Name: KazmaO.**

He clicked on the character creation completion icon, and he was greeted in black bold letters

**Welcome to Sword Art Online!**

As the words faded away he found himself diving into the virtual world, blues of all shades streaming past him.

Moments later he found himself standing in the center of a town square underneath a high, distant ceiling decorated to look like the sky. He looked down at his hand, not quite believing what he was seeing.

He willed it to move. And it moved.

He kicked out his leg as if shaking off some dirt. It made a similar motion. He blinked, getting used to this new environment.

Looking down, he grasped his very pale hands into fists. Looking up, he spread out his arms.

"THIS IS AWESOME!", the pale-white skinned, blonde haired, red eyed KazmaO cheered. The former King Kazma however wasn't the only one to materialize in the stone-paved square as other players of all genders joined him in rapid blue flashes.

KazmaO turned his head, scanning the world all around him. It was as if he was transplanted from his smaller IRL self to his character! He literally had become his character! With brown trousers, a red long-sleeved shirt, and a black vest of sorts, KazmaO was ready to climb this Castle Aincrad and become its king!

Face splitting into a grin, he charged off running. Could he run out of breath in the virtual world? How far could he run? Could he get cramps from running? He had so many questions about this virtual world!

All of his troubles in the real world: his parents, his family. All seemed to have been washed away in an instant.

If they wanna take him out of this place, they might as well take away the NerveGear around his head and dump it in the garbage.

Over his dead body, that is.

'_Thank you Kayaba Akihiko_!' he thought to himself as KazmaO ran into the streets, taking in every sight and sound around him. He could feel his feet slamming against the pavement, the sound of other players running around in joy and glee as they took off to see the vendors and buildings and the even more numerous NPCs that made this 'Starting City' their home.

KazmaO stopped by a fountain, sitting on the edge of the piece of architecture and catching his breath.

"Turns out you can…be a bit winded in the virtual world…" he said aloud, panting as he wiped his arm across his brow. He looked around, seeing other players interact and have fun in this new game. He saw a male with black hair and a grey outfit walking with a female character dressed in a yellow and red gear set. They were talking excitedly, their eyes wide and bright.

And then, all at once, the woman pulled her companion into a deep kiss. The man looked surprised, but quickly embraced it.

'_Must be a married couple_,' KazmaO thought, smiling. He had encountered some married couples in the OZ FC from time to time.

Looking left, he saw another couple: the male in green and the female in pink. Both were more reserved than the couple from before, but it wasn't difficult to see the excitement hidden underneath, at least in the female's case. High school classmates perhaps?

Something caught his eye and he turned to find a player in blue-and-brown gear and black hair sitting down on the same fountain as himself. The look on his face was neutral, almost apathetic.

'_What's got him so down, I wonder? Especially in such a wonderful game like this_?' KazmaO thought to himself briefly before shrugging.

'_Whatever! It's his own business. Let's see about exploring more about this world... Hmm... Probably best to start with learning how to manage my equipment.._.' With that decision made, he stood up, grinning ear to ear as he inspected his starting equipment.

"How to use the Main Menu again…" KazmaO thought aloud. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the gloomy looking player sitting on the fountain move his hand downwards.

'_When in Rome as they always say,_' mused KazmaO as he proceeded to copy the gloomy player's action.

Mimicking what he had observed KazmaO took his right hand, extended his right index and middle fingers and swung them downward, and was greeted with the pinging sound of his Main Menu being brought up in front of him!

"Ah, goodie." He said aloud as he inspected its contents. The Main Menu was structured with a summary diagram on the left, circular category buttons in the middle, and the detail dialogue on the right. There are five category options: inventory/equipment, friends/guild, messaging/chat, maps/quest and the settings/main-menu.

KazmaO tapped his finger on the Inventory icon, and it revealed two screens. One on the left showing the image of a body, whilst the right screen showed three sub-menus: Weapons, Equipped, and Accessory.

The blonde haired bishounen pondered as he clicked on several of the icons on the body-screen, and suddenly he felt a lot chillier.

Looking down he noticed he was without pants for the blemish of a second. Yelping out in surprise, he clicked back on the icons, and his pants came back.

He took a deep sigh, hopefully no one saw that, right? He heard a trio walk by and snicker in whispered tongues. KazmaO picked up the words "Noob", "Greenhorn", and other similar words. He rolled his eyes.

"Least I'm learning. Better get acquainted with this more…" He said as he moved his finger, accidentally clicking another icon, this time taking off his shirt.

"Gaaaah!" He rushed to cover himself, and in the process stumbled and fell into the fountain. KazmaO sat back up, and clicked on the icon again, his shirt coming back. He saw the status effect for "Wet" next to his HUD. As he looked, he noticed his name and a health bar in the top left corner of his vision.

As his attention returned to his surroundings, KazmaO saw other people looking at him and sighed.

"Noob here. Mind your own business" he said aloud, waving off the other players. They walked off, smiling and chuckling at his misfortune. He was a newcomer to this game, so he could make some mistakes, right? The OZ veteran shook his head, and he realized something as he got out of the fountain.

He felt…legitimately wet. As if he had been pushed into a pool, his clothes felt heavy and waterlogged. Even his skin seemed a touch colder too. KazmaO held his hand up, seeing the droplets of water fall to the ground and forming into tiny puddles. He wrapped his arms around himself, feeling colder and was amazed even more. A game like that could stimulate the human senses.

"Is this…really a game?" he asked aloud, amazed by the detail and the fact that despite this world being a virtual reality…this felt so real.

What if the mistakes he made could hurt him? If he got hurt in this world, would he feel real pain?

'_Yeah, I'd best avoid mistakes while out killing monsters_,' he mused. '_Better to commit goof ups in the safety of the starting town squa_re.'

He did not notice that black-haired player run past, nor did he pay attention to a red haired player in a bandanna running after him.

-X-

Several hours later, KazmaO was out in the fields on Floor 1 in some place called the 'South Field', sword raised, and a scowl of frustration on his face.

Before him stood an angry blue-furred boar, complete with glowing red eyes and sharp tusks.

"How do I damage this thing!?" he snapped, effortlessly sidestepping another predictable charge. He swiped at the beast as it passed, but did little damage. He had lost count of the damned boars after thirteen, but he was still grinding out his fights with them. Once or twice he had even been forced to run away.

In-between his frustrating attempts at combat, he had spent the time admiring the amazing scenery of Aincrad; the texture of the grass beneath his feet, the coolness of the wind in the air, and most unfortunately, running into that same trio of players who joked at his Main Menu gaffe earlier in the Starting City. KazmaO had asked them for tips and pointers, but the ring leader, some Kibaou or Kihaou or whatever his name was, blew him off and just said "Learn it the hard way noob!" and walked off laughing.

MMOs sure had some dicks in their community! Sure the FC had some clowns and trolls but at least the majority of them showed courtesy and respect!

KazmaO swung his sword at the boar mob again, but it passed through the beast, and the mob retaliated with a swing of its tusks thim. The blonde back stepped, took a slash at the boar, and smiled. He had only taken a tiny scratch here and there, his HP was still around half full despite being out in the field for several hours.

He had tried to find other players, particularly those that were having an easier time of grinding, in the hopes of figuring out what he was doing wrong but on the occasions that he had found some they were too far away when they fought a mob or dealt with them far too quickly for him to gleam anything useful from the combat. He had tried asking, but had no luck, like the whatshisname they did not want to give out the 'trade secret' to a newbie, more likely wanting to make sure KazmaO went through the same ordeals of hardship they went through when they were newbies.

KazmaO could relate in some respect to that. He too had made sure newcomers to the OZ FC learned the ropes the hard way: trial and error. Or in the OZ FC's case: Get your ass kicked and learn how to kick the ass who kicked your ass or kick the ass before he or she kicks your ass.

It had taught him well.

KazmaO dodged another charge by the Boar mob, having come to understand their attack patterns completely. How could he fight against monsters, swing his sword at them, and not do any real damage!? It made no sense!

As he quit attacking, the Boar mob seemed to lose interest and went back to minding its own business. Irked, KazmaO saw a pebble on the ground and lifted it up.

"Screw you Kayaba!" he yelled, prepared to throw the pebble in frustration, but just as he was to follow through his body begin to move on its own, at a speed he had never known before! He heard a whirring sound, and he founding himself throwing the rock like it was a proper weapon! And the rock was colored red too!

The rock hit the boar's head, making it squeal in pain and turn its attention back onto him. KazmaO was stunned and elated in equal measure. He finally did some real damage with an attack! Albeit it was unintentional, but still! He was finally making progress!

"Alright I hit the pig! Wait that's not something to be proud of," he thought aloud. He side stepped again, avoiding another charge by the now thoroughly-enraged boar.

'_Now I just have to figure out how I did that_,' KazmaO thought as he readied himself.

"I wasn't even moving my own body," he said aloud. "It was as if…" The boar stopped, stamping its hoof as it readied to charge. "Did the game engine…move my body for me?"

The boar charged. KazmaO sidestepped, not wanting to risk a parry. His mind raced, as if he were back in the black arena of OZ FC. What had he done to make the game engine move his body like that? He had picked up a rock, moved his arm up as if to throw it, and the game had done the rest.

What about his sword? KazmaO glanced down at his sword; a simple, double-bladed short sword of a broadly European style. Had he been using it wrong? Had he just been holding it the wrong way? Was there some hidden secret?

KazmaO stepped back, and readied his sword arm, thinking of positions he could go into to allow the game engine to take over. The boar charged, and nothing came up. Side-step.

Sword out to the side? Nothing. Dodge.

Sword in both hands and aiming at the boar? Nothing. Dodge.

Sword out in front with one hand aimed directly at the creature?

Just as he was preparing to dodge, he felt it. The game engine took over, his sword glowing blue and he leapt forward, darting towards the charging monster. His sword struck true, a red gash appearing on the side of the boar as he struck the creature with a lunging thrust.

The boar was stunned, and fell over, disappearing in a small flash of polygons and a screen popped up in front of him displaying his earnings from the victorious 'battle'.

Result:

Exp=24

Col=30

Items=1

KazmaO's face lit up, splitting into a wide grin as he pumped his fist into the air.

"Alright!" he cheered. "That was great! Man! I was an idiot for swiping away at those mobs stupidly for all those hours! It's like they were elite monsters or something!" He asked aloud.

Off to the side, several more boars minding their own business appeared in flashes of blue light. KazmaO's face fell a bit, but he was still smiling. He shook his head, still grinning

"Well then," he looked at his blade. "Guess I'm getting the hang of things." He said softly, looking off to the distance. He sat down on the grassy hill, seeing the expanse of the world before him. The hills, the grassy plains, those oddly-shaped plateaus, the flying dragon-like mobs, and the sunset. Oh the sunset…

"And this is all a game," said KazmaO to himself. He lied down on the ground, looking up at the ceiling, smiling as he embraced this tough-but-fair game.

A beautiful, enchanting tough-but-fair game.

"I wonder…what are the floors above like?" He asked aloud, sitting up and looking into the sunset before suddenly breaking out into a yawn.

"Man, this game makes you feel tired too? Got to give Kayaba props, he makes this thing as real as…well…the real world!" He said, placing his hands on his hips. "This FullDive stuff…it's the best!"

"Oh yeah that's right," KazmaO commented, placing a hand on his stomach. "I guess it's nearly dinner time, and mom and her will be back too." His tone turned from as happy as a child walking out of a candy store to one walking into a morgue. He had to leave this wonderful world and go back to one where he had to live with that parasite and his mother.

But…it wouldn't do him good to waste away. He needed to eat dinner after all. He swiped his right hand down, his Main Menu appearing. Time to log out and eat some-

"What?"

Where was the log out icon? KazmaO's eyes scanned his menu. He hadn't checked whether the log out icon was part of his Main Menu back in the Starting City, having figured it would definitely be in the '"Settings" sub-menu.

"That's odd. Why isn't it here?" he pondered, hand on his chin. He saw the 'Help' icon and considered pressing it.

"Nah," he shrugged. It was probably a bug. OZ always had some bugs in its system. This was the first day of Sword Art Online. Surely other players had already contacted the GMs or Admins about it.

"Might as well wait here," Putting thought to action, he sat down on the hill side, menu still in front of him as the orange sky was still in (its) current hue. He had one eye on the in-game clock: 17:25, or 5:25.

Was there any other way to log out? What if his NerveGear was removed from his head? Surely that would log him out, right?

"Tch," KazmaO scoffed. Opening his eyes and seeing a scowling Ikezawa Kiyomi with that imp shrieking like a siren in the background wouldn't be any fun. Oh well, hopefully the people at Argus would take care of it soon.

The sky began to darken, and the seconds turned to minutes. KazmaO began to feel…concerned. Wasn't there some emergency log-out action-command? He put his hands near his head and mimicked the RL action of taking off his NerveGear…

"Oh yeah, NerveGear shuts down your motor functions so you don't move while you play," he said slapping his head. He remembered the countless forum and message board posts answering such questions about that. KazmaO leaned back against a small rock pillar, arms crossed and face hard.

"What is taking them?" He asked out loud, seeing the orbs of light on the plateaus turn into crescent moons. Was it night time in-game? It was sure looking like it, given the darkening sky.

KazmaO bit his lip and began to pace. What was taking them so long!?

His head perked up at the sound of bells. They were loud and ominous. KazmaO looked around, trying to find the source. Was this just for him, or for the entire area?

"No…the whole floor?" He said aloud as the toll of the bells continued to ring. And then he was suddenly blinded by a flash of blue light that engulfed his body.

"Wha-!" he gasped, as the light faded and he found that he was no longer standing on grass, but on cobblestone pavement.

"The square!?" He looked around and seeing that other players, easily in the thousands, were packed into the central square of Starting City. They looked as confused as he was, talking in a babbling cacophony as they tried to figure out what was going on. More and more blue flashes appeared, depositing yet more players in the square.

"Someone forced a teleport," said a dark-haired male to KazmaO's right to his red-haired male companion.

'_Is that what happened? Who would do that and why_?' KazmaO thought to himself as he continued to scan the square. In the distance, he could barely make out the two couples he noticed earlier in the day and that doom-and-gloom player who had been sitting at the fountain.

The bells stopped, and KazmaO looked up and saw a blinking red hexagon.

"Hey look!" he yelled out, pointing to the sky, and everyone in the square did just that. There was a word on the red shape but he couldn't tell what it was from this distance.

"Now what?" said the dark-haired player next to the redhead. In the blink of an eye, the orange sky was suddenly covered in red hexagons, casting the square in a red hue.

KazmaO's eyes widened as a blood-like substance leaked out of the sky, gathering together in mid-air before twisting and turning into some kind of shape.

'_I've got a bad feeling about this_,' KazmaO thought to himself. He could only remember having felt such a sensation like this once; that time when he and his family had worked together to trap Love Machine inside the Castle System in OZ. The rogue AI had escaped, and used its stolen Avatars to create a giant black devil, towering over everything.

A devil that had then proceeded to crush him as if he was some gnat.

It has to be some in-game special event…right?

Lightning crackled around the substance, and the redhead voiced the thoughts of many of the players. "What the hell is that?"

Above the square the liquid had formed into a giant figure. It was dressed in red robes with golden trimming and white gloves, a black fog leaking from where its face should have been.

"He has no face…" KazmaO said aloud as the players around him talked and murmured to themselves. The giant spread his arms wide.

"Attention players. I welcome you to my world."

"What does he mean by that?" whispered the dark-haired player next to KazmaO nervously.

"I am Kayaba Akihiko, and as of this moment I am in control of this world."

KazmaO gasped. He was the game's creator!? Why was he here? Theatrics for an in-game event? Murmuring broke out in the crowd.

"I'm sure most of you have noticed an icon missing from the Main Menu: the Log Out button." The robed phantom opened up his own menu, and continued to speak. "Let me assure you, this is not a defect of the game."

KazmaO felt his heart stop.

"Eh?"

"I repeat. This is not a defect."

"Not a…defect?" KazmaO repeated.

"This was how Sword Art Online was meant to be."

"This is a joke right?" Asked the redhead desperately, hoping that he was right. KazmaO wished he was too.

"You cannot log yourselves out of SAO. And no one from the outside world can shut down or remove the NerveGear around your head. If anyone attempts to do so, a transmitter placed inside the NerveGear will release a microwave signal into your skull, destroying your brain and ending your life."

The crowd's murmurings increasing in volume; some concerned, some sceptical.

"This is fake." KazmaO said aloud, arm shaking and looking down. "This whole thing has to be some joke. I mean, after the Love Machine Crisis, OZ would do something about this right!"

"No good," said the black-haired player in blue, face serious and stoic. "Argus never relied on OZ, for the game _or _for the NerveGear." His tone filled with dread. "The terms said OZ accounts aren't needed for this game…"

KazmaO's mouth dropped. OZ…can't help? He felt ice forming in his stomach, colder than anything he had ever felt.

He heard the dark-haired player and the redhead continue talking. "It's got to be a joke right? He's talking some real bull if you ask me, right Kirito?" commented the redhead.

"He's telling the truth," said the dark-haired player KazmaO now knew to be Kirito. "The transmitter signals in the NerveGear work just like microwaves. If the safety is disabled, it will fry your brain."

"Can't the power be cut?" asked KazmaO towards Kirito.

"No good either," Kirito shook his head. "The NerveGear has an internal battery."

KazmaO gasped. This…this can't be happening right?

The redhead shook his head in disbelief. "This is crazy! Totally insane!"

"Despite my warning," Kayaba's voice boomed over the square. "Families and friends of some of your fellow players attempted to remove the NerveGear. An unfortunate decision to say the least."

"No…" KazmaO said aloud. "No no no…" He shook his head, hoping this was some nightmare he would soon wake up from.

"As a result, 213 players are no longer in Aincrad, and no longer alive in the real world." KazmaO's eyes widened in fear, his blood running cold.

"Two hundred…" Kirito said aloud in shock.

"Thirteen?" finished the redhead. "It can't be! I don't believe it!"

Several pop-up screens appeared before the cloaked giant, showing news articles and bulletins from a variety of outlets.

"As you can see, international media outlets have begun around-the-clock coverage of everything, including the deaths," Kayaba droned.

KazmaO saw the headlines.

_Online Game Crisis Claims Numerous Victims._

_Teenage Boy Found Dead by Online Game._

But one article caught him by surprise. It featured his house! There were police cars outside his home! And a familiar face too.

"Cousin Shota!" he gasped. He recognized the blonde haired policeman sitting on the sidewalk outside of his house, his face distraught and hands in his hair; his eyes red with tears.

The camera panned over and KazmaO felt his knees grow weak. He saw his mother Kiyomi, who had ignored him since Chiyo was born, kneeling on the ground, wailing in grief at having lost her son to the game. Chiyo was in her arms, wailing with her mother.

This is no longer a game anymore. This is a Death Game.

His mother…loved him after all!? But the shouting, the ignored birthday, the favoritism towards his little sister...

She was shouting his name, he knows it. He can read her lips.

_"I'm sorry Kazu-kun! Give me back my baby! Kazu-kun! I'm sorry! Give him back to me! Nooooo_!"

"Mother…" KazmaO whispered under his breath, tears forming in his eyes. In more normal circumstances he would have been amazed at the thought of crying in a virtual world. But there and then he was too shell-shocked to care.

"At this point, the likelihood of a NerveGear being removed is minimal at best, so you need not worry," Kayaba continued. "I hope this brings you comfort as you try to clear the game. As you do so though, it is important to remember the following; there is no longer any way to revive someone in the game. If your HP hits zero, your avatar will be deleted from the system…forever."

KazmaO reached out a hand as Kayaba closed the news screens. "No! Mother!" He yelled out.

"And the NerveGear will simultaneously destroy your brain," Kayaba continued.

KazmaO fell to his knees. Beside him, Kirito clenched his fists.

"There is only one way for a player to escape now," Kayaba added. "You must clear the game." He clicked on his Main Menu, revealing the map of Castle Aincrad.

"You are currently on the lowest level of Aincrad: Floor 1. Defeat the Floor Boss in the dungeon and you will be able to advance to the next floor. Get to Floor 100," the map went from Floor 1 all the way to the top, where a castle was shown. "Defeat the Boss there, and you will have cleared Sword Art Online!"

"One hundred floors…" KazmaO continued to look at the ground, his breaths shallow.

And then it hit him.

Being stuck in this Death Game... It was all his fault! His mother, the mother he'd been running from, loved him after all! He was such a fool!

She…she just needed some help and love in caring for Chiyo. He thought of Chiyo as a nuisance but…but…

They forgot his birthday, but with Chiyo's tantrums and his father hammered down by work and far from home, could he blame them? Was he so selfish to think of himself over his own family?

He had! What's more in his selfishness he had escaped into this world, and fell in love with it... Now he was trapped like a rat.

More yelling erupted around him, directed at Kayaba and reasonably so. At this point, he didn't care, as the mantra repeated itself inside his head.

"It's all my fault," he whispered. "It's all my fault. It's all my fault. It's all my fault…"

"Last but not least. Check your item storage. By all means, have a look."

KazmaO heard a ping and without any prompting from him his Menu opened up, showing a new item in his inventory.

"A…mirror?" He pressed the icon, and it was conjured into his hand. He stared down at him, seeing the red-eyed face of a hero who was supposed to be King of this castle. As he looked at his avatar's reflection, it suddenly began to glow with a strange blue light. He cried out as he felt the light engulf him, and others did likewise as the light spread across the square.

The light faded, and KazmaO gasped at what he saw in the mirror. Gone was the pale white skin, replaced with the olive-tan of his real world body.

"What?" he asked, a question echoed by many other players around him. He heard Kirito and his redhead friend talk behind him, as they sorted out their identities in the face of the sudden transformation of their avatars.

The voices of the players in the square changed. All of a sudden a lot more male voices than female could be heard. KazmaO would have laughed at the thought, Kayaba pulling a joke on all the male players with female avatars. A trick made all the more hilarious by a scene of two players in particular calling each other out.

"You're not a girl!" yelled a fat player at the edge of the square.

"You're not seventeen!" retorted his slim companion.

But it didn't register inside his head nor did it tickle any funny bones in his body as he looked back at his reflection.

Out in the square, several young girls stared in horror at the red giant. The married couple was no longer shown as a typical male and female avatar, but as a tall and stout man along with a voluptuous short haired woman. The other couple was no longer a boy and girl...but a pair of high-school girls! The shorter had strawberry-blonde hair whilst her taller companion wore her long black hair in a hime-cut. Mr. Doom-and-gloom was even shorter than his already vertically-challenged avatar, with a messy mop of black hair. All of them, like thousands of other player in the midst of where they stood, looked at Kayaba's avatar with a sense of profound shock.

But caught up in the shock of his own transformation, none of this registered with KazmaO.

He was preoccupied with his old tan skin and chocolate eyes, his incredibly feminine complexion and figure, his black hair covering his right eye. Looking at his changed avatar, it was as if Ikezawa Kazuma was looking back at him.

"Why…how did…what?" KazmaO spluttered, dropping the mirror as if it had transformed into a venomous spider. He heard Kirito mention some scan or calibration. He didn't care nor bothered to remember such a detail.

KazmaO looked up, eyes red with tears and anger. "Why would you do this!? Why!?"

"Right now," answered the phantom giant. "You're probably wondering why? Why would Kayaba Akihiko, developer of Sword Art Online and the NerveGear, do this? Well, my reason is a simple one. My reason for creating Sword Art Online is to create a new world: one no longer bound by the laws and consequences of the real world. The real world has grown and matured too much. People rely too much on safety at the call of a button or prefer to handle their battles with words, the pen, or the gun. No longer relying on their wits, their skill, or their sword. Long have I been intrigued by the middle ages, and the fantasy stories inspired by them. So I created a world of my design, where I can control the fate of those who dwell in it, and partake in this new reality."

KazmaO felt his shoulders slump. He heard that Kirito player again, mentioning Kayaba's name and growling. KazmaO was still on his knees.

"As you can see, my goal has been accomplished," the robed phantom's hood contorted, as if making a smirk of some kind in victory.

"And that marks the end of the tutorial, and the official launch of Sword Art Online. Players, I wish you the best of luck," and with that said, the red robes and white gloves began to fall apart, the phantom disappearing before them. As he vanished, the red heavens became the dusk once again.

There was silence everywhere, everyone too shocked to speak. The silence was so profound that a falling pin would have resounded like thunder.

And in the center two people stood next to each other, having little knowledge of the other. One stood with his hands tightened into fists and muscles tensed; the other was on his knees in complete surrendered. Both were thinking the same thing.

'_If I die in the game…I die in real life!_'

There was a female scream close by, and the floodgates burst. Bedlam descended as players ran from the square, screaming up at the heavens, demanding or begging that Kayaba let them go. KazmaO was still on his knees in the square, looking down at his shivering hands as the one called Kirito took the red-haired player off to the side and out of sight.

"I'm the only one to blame…" he whispered to himself. "It's all my fault."

If he hadn't been so selfish, he would have given his parents love. They were at fault but so was he. He had never brought up his feelings to them.

If Chiyo hadn't been born, he would have never gotten into this death trap. If Love Machine hadn't run OZ into the ground, Sakae wouldn't have died, diverting the family's attention even more away from his birthday. But ultimately they were excuses!

In the end, the only reason he was stuck in this mess was because he was _weak_. He didn't have the fortitude to help his mother. He didn't have the resilience to withstand Chiyo's toddlerhood. He didn't have the courage to come out to his family about his birthday. He didn't have the maturity to go along with what the grownups did.

He was _weak_. He'd bought into the hype of Sword Art Online, and now he was paying for it.

It was all his fault.

He stared at the ground below him, and at the tears endlessly pouring onto his trousers.

It was all his fault. Because he was _weak_.

KazmaO felt his shoulder be nudged several times and he looked up, vision too blurry to make out who was talking to him.

"Hey kid," the accent was deep and non-Japanese. "Are you al-"

KazmaO batted his hand away and turned and ran. He heard the man call out, but he ignored him. Why look after someone as weak as him? Why even bother?

He was at half HP during his time in the field. What if it had hit zero!?…He would have died! He would have fucked up and died!

"I don't wanna die!" he yelled at the top of his lungs. "Mommy! Daddy! Sensei!" KazmaO hollered as he ran through the streets. He ran through the bazaar, bumped into someone, but in his grief and shame he kept on running. He wanted to hide away in a dark place and never return to the light.

The thought of a weeping sister and grieving mother. The vision of a mother in despair and a family wrought with sadness.

KazmaO cried out in utter despair.

Not so far away, Kirito gritted his teeth as he faced a wolf. He could not be afraid, he dared not despair. He could only fight, and dare all, lest he die in this place.

The king fell to his knees onto the pavement as the night fell.

The pauper cut through the wolf with his sword, destroying it.

The King let out a howl of despair, surrendering to this world as the result of his mistake and greed.

The pauper let out a roar akin to a lion, one who would endure no matter what comes his way.

Sword Art Online has begun.

-X-

By the beginning of November 25…over two thousand players have died.

And the Floor 1 has yet to be cleared…

* * *

**Wowzers that was fast. Big thanks to Nameless2210, Juubi-K and Vandenbz for that.**

**So, thoughts on this so far? Note that KazmaO and Kirito will be my protags. Also, stop asking for pairings. I already planned on who to pair Kazuma with.**

**As for how KazmaO will fight, well, you will see in time. As well as the Jinnouchi Clan as well.**


	3. Never Surrender

**I do not own Sword Art Online nor Summer Wars. Reki Kawahara and Mamoru Hosada do.**

-X-

_November 25th 2022_

The day was a pleasant one here in Aincrad. The sky-ceiling was blue, the clouds were white as snow.

This tranquil atmosphere was however shattered by the sound of a Sword Skill being used, and another boar being reduced to polygons.

Result:

Exp=24

Col=30

Items=1

In contrast to his beautiful surroundings and the jubilant tone of the BGM that accompanied his latest victory, KazmaO looked anything but pleasant. His shoulders slouched, and black bags hung under empty, lifeless eyes. They had been so ever since the day of Kayaba's "Tutorial" in the beginning of the month.

Dispassionately, KazmaO closed the window displaying his earnings, looking around to see more boars respawn.

It was just part of what had become his daily routine: Wake up. Use Col to get breakfast. Repair any damaged gear. Go out to the field. Kill boars until potions run out and his HP was reduced by half. Head back, heal, use Col to buy potions and lunch. Go out. Kill boars again. Head back to Starting City. Pay Inn rent. Go to bed.

At times, KazmaO didn't even bother getting out of bed, hoping desperately instead that this was all some sort of nightmare, and that if he slept long enough he would wake up.

But to no avail. This was real. This was reality. Aincrad was his prison.

KazmaO's sword glowed as he employed a Sword Skill once more, killing yet another Boar. But he could feel the boar's hits land, as they had often done over the last month as his dodging got sloppy; the price of not practicing his Kata. He killed the last Boar and noticed that his HP was in the yellow zone. Before the encounter with the four most recent mobs he it was still in the green.

It was hollow consolation, but his grinding had helped him level up over the last month. It had also earned him quite a bit of Col, but as KazmaO looked at his remaining Col, he saw that he only had 1020 left.

But that was alright. It was still more than enough for him to pay the 100 Col fee for the room he was renting at the Starting City's church, and 40 Col for a meal at a nice diner nearby. That left 880 Col for potions, repairs, and maybe a new weapon.

He would have had much more, had he not spent it on the best gear the Starting City's vendors could provide. If he wanted anything better, he would have to go questing.

KazmaO quashed the thought before it could take root. There was no way he was going out there. Had he the choice he wouldn't have strayed beyond the city at all; but he needed 120 Col per day for meals, 100 for rent, and 300 for six of the best healing potions, plus whatever gear repairs he might happen to need.

Thus was KazmaO condemned to a dull existence of endless boar-grinding, hour after hour after hour. It was as if he was turning into a lifeless machine. He couldn't fathom what would happen to his real body if all he did was kill boars in the fields all day long.

Yet it was the safest way. He knew some players were out trying to find the boss room. "Ha! What a bunch of idiots," he thought. Let them risk their lives for a bunch of strangers. Unlike them, he wanted to survive. No matter what!

Even if it meant being a coward.

The light of day had taken on an orange tint. KazmaO looked up, and saw the sun was beginning to set. Not wanting to be caught in the dark, he inspected his inventory; only to discover he had run out of potions.

"One more," he said, as he turned towards a newly-respawned boar. He picked up a pebble and threw it, the Sword Skill increasing his power and speed. It struck the boar and KazmaO ran towards it, sword glowing. Two Sword Skill hits later and the boar was slain. More Col, another sliver of EXP, and another item to sell.

And a chiming sound.

The dark-haired teen perked up, surprised, and noticed a window open up in front of him.

Congratulations! You have leveled up!

Level 5

You have earned Five Skill Points!

KazmaO blinked, but the sullen look remained on his face. Sure, leveling up was nice; it filled up his health _and _boosted his stats. What wasn't there to like?

"What's the point?" he asked aloud, sheathing his sword. He looked up to the sky, which was now a ruddy orange colour. He glanced at the clock on his HUD; 6.01. He heard his stomach growl. He knew he couldn't die of starvation in this world, but that didn't make it any less painful.

Done for the day, he jogged back onto the main road and walked back to the Starting City. The sooner he had food inside him and his gear repaired, the sooner he could sleep.

Sleep, and forget.

As he reentered Starting City, he saw some players walking about with the same body language as himself; depressed, sullen, hopeless. KazmaO couldn't blame them. Over two-thousand players had died in the first month alone.

He heard shouting, and turned his head to follow the sound. He saw some male players holding out little brown books, calling something about "save your life" and "tips and tricks". Curious, KazmaO approached one the players, a blond youth.

"Here!" said the player, handing the books to any player he could find. "This Players Guide can save your life! Be sure to read it thoroughly!"

"What does it contain? And what's your name?" asked a tall stout player behind him. KazmaO turned his head to see who it was. It was the same guy from Launch Day who had that super curvy lady by his side. And there she was beside him.

"My name is Zhuke! Anyways, it contains all the information about this Floor and the Floors above, gathered by the Beta Testers so that everyone here has the best chance of surviving! It even contains details on some quests and what to watch out for, including Monster patterns, Elite Mob descriptions, and even a few tips on how to deal with the Floor Bosses!"

Murmuring broke out. KazmaO continued staring up at the altruistic player with a sneer.

_'And this didn't come out last month why…?_' He mentally asked even as another player voiced the same question.

"We needed to be sure the information was accurate. Some of the stuff here on Floor 1 isn't the same as it was in the Beta. It's only a few minor details here and there, but for new players this guide book can mean the difference between life and death! I made these books along with other Beta Testers and I used my Scribe Skill to help write these. If you don't know any Skills, these can come in handy! And these are free, just take them!" He handed out more and more of the books, some of the players inspecting them.

KazmaO got one and looked at it for a moment before dismissing it and storing it into his inventory. He could use some Skills, but he was _not_ going beyond the outskirts of the Starting City. He was going to survive. Damn anyone else who wanted to go out into the wilds.

KazmaO found his favorite diner close by the Cathedral after a good long walk, and bought a noodle stew of sorts. It was the closest thing to Ramen in this world, and the taste was decent. He finished his dinner in a hurry, paid the Col fee, and walked back to the Cathedral where his room was situated. He paid the rent to the NPC Priest and entered his room. Opening his menu with a swipe of his hand, took off his armor and gear, leaving him in only his boxers and a wife-beater undershirt. Undressed, he entered the bed and shut off the lights.

Laying on his back he looked up at the ceiling. Thinking back to the guide book, he opened his menu.

He gasped, and closed the menu, turning over.

"No…no…" he whispered to himself. If he read that book in full, it would give him false hope, false bravado. If Beta Testers who have been in this game for a month couldn't clear Floor 1 out of a hundred, what good could he do?

Choking back tears he drifted off to sleep. And he dreamed…

-X-

Kazuma opened his eyes as he sat in bed, looking up and blinking as he turned over in the covers. He heard the sound of cicadas just out the door. That wasn't possible. He didn't recall any seeing any cicadas in the Starting City.

Curious despite himself, he sat up and looked out. His eyes widened as he found himself not in his rented room in the Starting City's church but instead in his room back at the Jinnouchi estate. "How...!?" Kazuma wondered even as he got out of bed and opened the side-door.

It was the porch, with the backyard, koi pond, and garden. He even saw the rolling hills of Nagano and the lights of the town of Ueda in the background. He stepped onto the walkway, his bare feet meeting wood as he felt the warm summer air wash over him.

"I'm dreaming…" Kazuma said aloud, looking down at himself. He was no longer in the PJs he had worn to bed back in Aincard, but in his sleeveless red shirt and cargo shorts. He looked around, seeing the fireflies dance and blink within the backyard. He walked around the walkway, wondering if anyone was here.

"Hello?" He called out. "Sensei? Mariko-baa-chan? Mom? Dad?" He entered the silent house, only to discover that every room was empty. He didn't hear Aunt Yumi's chanting and fanatic shouts watching Ryohei play Baseball on TV. He didn't hear the young Mao, Yuhei, and Shingo running around without a care in the world.

The house looks in order and had signs of being occupied, so why-

He was distracted from his thoughts when he suddenly saw light from behind a door. Kazuma approached it hand ready to knock.

"Come on in Kazuma-kun." said an old kind voice. A familiar voice, one which Kazuma and any Jinnouchi would know very well. He caught his breath and swallowed, opening the sliding door as his eyes widened.

"Grandma…" he whispered. There in the room, in her bright yellow kimono, her hair grey and face old and covered with wrinkles, was Jinnouchi Sakae. The deceased woman looked at him and smiled.

"Oh please do sit down Kazuma-kun," she said, gesturing to the pillow across from her. On the table was a Harafuda board and cards. Kazuma bit his lip and grabbed his arm and rubbed it.

"I…I don't really know how to play Harafuda. I never had the chance to-"

"I wasn't asking you to play," corrected Sakae. "I just wanted to talk with my great-grandson. Now come over here." She smiled and Kazuma nodded, walking into the room and sitting on the pillow, legs crossed. His hands were on his lap as his eyes looked to the side. The former Jinnouchi matriarch took a sip of tea, eyes closed in relaxation.

"I'm dead aren't I?"

"Hmmm?" Sakae opened an eye at him.

"Why else am I talking with you?" Kazuma's heart sank. "Did my NerveGear malfunction and go off and kill me? Is that why I'm…talking to you?"

"Nonsense," chuckled Sakae. "You're not dead grandson. Just dreaming is all."

"If I am dreaming, why am I dreaming of you?" he asked, looking up at her. "I mean, why would I?"

"The mind works in funny ways my dear," Sakae commented. "When we dream we dream of things we remember from far in the past that we never knew. Sometimes we dream of the wildest of adventures." She gave him what would have been a toothy grin, if she didn't only have a handful of teeth left. "Didn't you once dream of that wild bank robbery that involved a monkey, getting onto a high speed boat chase, then onto a plane where you ended up on Mars after you crashed in Pyongyang on the run from the Yakuza and Hotel Moscow?"

"How did…wha!" Kazuma blushed. That was one INSANE dream that he had a while back, one that somehow he remembered every detail of.

"We're in your mind grandson. I am dead yes, but your subconscious has created me in an effort to give you a pep talk." Sakae took another sip of tea. "Kazuma-kun, what you have been doing this last month, it is not living. Not at all."

Kazuma inhaled sharply. "You mean…my time in the game…Sword Art Online right?"

"What else would I be talking about?"

"I…I don't want to die though…" Kazuma shuddered. "If I go out there…I will be like the rest of them! They all died because they thought they could clear this game but it's impossible!" He wailed, feeling tears pout down his face even as his hands clenched. "Two thousand people are already dead…and it's only been a month! You know! If you're my subconscious or whatever! I…I want to live…I want to-!"

"Kazuma." Kazuma's diatribe was silenced at the stern and sharp tone of his grandmother. "Calm down." She reopened her eyes, and they were as hard as stone and sharp as any katana. "Take a deep breath, and relax." Her jaw was set shut as she glared into the tan-skinned teen. Kazuma gulped and nodded, taking a deep breath and exhaling.

"You have been in the doldrums over this past month, and no one can blame you," Sakae said. "You've gotten trapped in a game against your will, where death in the virtual world means death in the real world. You don't want to make your parents sad, nor do you want your little sister to grow up without her brother. Do you?" It was a rhetorical question.

Kazuma nodded. "Yes…"

"And by staying within that Starting City's outskirts you think can survive, grandson?"

"Yes…"

"You may believe that you are alive Kazuma-kun, but you're not. What you are doing is not living. You're dead inside, because you have given up. Given up on hope, on life."

"But if I go out there, I will die…"

"You don't know that. No one does."

"But I-"

"You think that you can get by without help from others, grandson?" asked Sakae sternly. "Ask yourself, are your thoughts not shared with the thousands of others who are trapped inside this game with you?"

Kazuma bit his lip. "But I…I wouldn't have been in this game! If it weren't for-"

He was struck in the ear by Sakae, a well-aimed flick making him flinch and cover his ear. She kept that hard stare focused on him; she knew what he was going to say.

"Don't say things you can't take back Kazuma-kun, whether it be to yourself or to others," she calmly said. Kazuma rubbed his ear, face scrunched up in pain. She was right before ninety years of age before she passed, yet her reflexes were as fast as a viper's.

"Sorry…I…" He didn't know what else to say.

"And I forgive you Grandson. No one deserves blame here; not yourself nor Chiyo-chan nor your parents. Everyone makes mistakes but those mistakes do not dictate life and death. My death was due to the work of a rampant AI, but do I curse Wabisuke's name? Every child has their quirks, their eccentricities, and Chiyo-chan just happens to be high maintenance. I've raised enough children to know that sometimes you just want to scream, and you can't always stop yourself. You are as human as they are, as I was, and as Chiyo-chan is. Family is family, no matter what make mistakes you make. It is for us to catch you when you fall, and help you learn from your mistakes."

Her voice softened, as the hand that had struck him caressed his cheek. Kazuma flinched from the contact; he had not been touched so affectionately in a long time. Her smile, closed mouth this time, was one of understanding and compassion. This was why Jinnouchi Sakae was loved so much in life, and why so many grieved at her passing.

"That is what being human is. Never perfect, forever making mistakes, but learning from those mistakes and rising above them. The sky is the limit. Did that not happen to Wabisuke?"

Kazuma nodded. "Yeah…but he learnt his lesson."

That much Kazuma knew for sure. Wabisuke had confessed his part in the creation of Love Machine, wholeheartedly and without reservation. The last Kazuma had heard he was near the end of his trial, awaiting a sentence.

"See? He became a better person after learning from his mistake. You yourself know this. And…I have faith." Kazuma looked up, seeing her soft brown eyes. "I have faith in you, and I believe that you can make a difference, grandson."

"A difference?"

"In that world, Aincrad. Are you not King Kazma of OZ? Champion of the Fighting Circuit? And did you not make a difference when you gave Love Machine that killing blow? When you saved your family, and your unborn sister?"

Kazuma remembered, when he was in his revamped OZ Avatar and dealing the final punch to Love Machine's mouse avatar. It was that final strike that gave Kenji the time he needed to hack into the missile and divert its course away from the Jinnouchi Estate, causing it to hit the main road in front of the house instead and inadvertently unearth a hot spring. It was actually a blessing in disguise, as Mariko had promptly bought the land to set up a hot spring resort.

"Yeah…I did…"

"And remember what I did. I called all of my connections, all my friends in Japan, to help others during the crisis. That is how the Jinnouchi do things; to protect and help others, before you protect yourself."

The tan-skinned boy bit his lip and felt tears drip down his face. All the emotion of seeing a loved one again, even if it is in a dream, was too much.

"Oh." Sakae smiled. "Come here. Give your Sakae-baa-chan a hug." Kazuma rushed over and nearly tackled the older woman, head deep into her breast as she began to run her hand through his hair.

"You remember my letter do you?"

"I…I think so…" He snuffled, hugging her tightly.

"Can you repeat what I said for your dear grandmother?"

"N-Never go hungry." Kazuma stuttered. "And…never be alone…M-Make friends…"

"Exactly my dear Grandson." Sakae said gently. "A life spent alone and hungry is a life not worth living. Always be full, and have friends by your side. That's how you know you're alive. May I impart some more wisdom?"

Kazuma replied with a muffled "mmhmm."

"Well, it was when you were dozing off to sleep when Yumi-chan and Ryohei-kun was watching a sports documentary last summer. It had a man, a deceased Basketball coach, saying what gave him his personal peace. It goes like this 'There are three things you should do every day. Number one is laugh. Number two is think. Number three, you should have your emotions move you to tears. If you laugh, think and cry, that's a heck of a day don't you think?' I was incredibly touched by that man's words, even if he passed away twenty-nine years ago." Sakae separated Kazuma away from her a little, almond meeting chocolate eyes. "And I wanted to impart that wisdom onto you."

The boy could only look up at his grandmother in awe, and he nodded. "O-Okay…I…I'll try to do that."

"You _will_ do that," Sakae corrected. "You have Jinnouchi blood flowing through your veins, and Jinnouchi, even during the days of the Sengoku Era where all the odds were against them, never gave up. It's not even something that should register in their heads." Her hand caressed his cheek as she stood up.

Kazuma smiled a bit, the first true smile he has had in a while. "You're starting to sound like Mansuke-sensei."

"And who hung around him the most hmmm?" asked Sakae with an up-turned eyebrow.

They laughed merrily, and the late Jinnouchi matriarch took a deep breath.

"Climb, no, _c__onquer_ this mountain that is named Aincard Kazuma-kun. Get to the top and throw Kayaba Akihiko off of his throne, just like how you destroyed Love Machine."

Kazuma and Sakae remained close, and the room began to shift and distort as Sakae got up and began to walk away. Kazuma gasped as he reached a hand out to her.

"No wait! Don't go!" The old woman stopped, turning her head around and giving him another toothy grin.

"I'm expecting great things Kazuma-kun. I love you dearly, and I know you will climb this mountain." She turned back around and continued walking as Kazuma tried to run towards her, hand out stretched to try and reach her but he stopped as everything fading to white.

This was a dream. Kazuma took a deep breath, looking down as he felt his eyes tear up, but he lifted his head up and smiled, waving at his fading grandmother.

"Thank you Sakae-baa-chan! Thank you so much!"

The last thing he heard before everything faded to white was the kind loving laughter of Jinnouchi Sakae.

-X-

KazmaO's eyes snapped open, and he sat up.

He was back in his room, in the Starting City Church, in Aincrad. He glanced at his hud: 9:30. He just had a nap.

He stepped out of bed and opened up the window, taking in a deep breath of fresh night air. His eyes closed as he exhaled.

KazmaO's chocolate eyes burned with a fire he never knew he had as they snapped back open. He walked back to the center of his room and positioned his feet and arms, taking a deep breath and exhaling.

"That's right…" he said to himself as his body fell into unique motions; his hands shadowboxing, his feet moving as if he was dancing on water. The practicing and beginning Katas of Shorinji Kempo, better known as Shaolin Kung-Fu.

"I defeated Love Machine…and I need to make it up to them, I need to apologize to mom, dad, and Chiyo-chan…"

In his mind's eye he saw the image of the red-cloaked phantom standing before him. He gritted his teeth and drew back his fist.

"I won't let this world beat me…I won't let Kayaba Akihiko beat me!" He lashed out, the image shattering like glass before his fist. He continued his katas, yelling as he struck, kicking and punching imaginary foes. After an hour he brought his hands together, and bowed in gratitude to the Martial Art.

His training done, KazmaO opened his menu. In an instant he was armed and armoured, and striding along the corridor.

"I know what I need to do," he said aloud. KazmaO's mind turned to Sakae who gave him strength. To his family that gave him strength. To his mother, to his father, and even to Chiyo-chan.

He needed to see them again, and he couldn't accomplish that by only killing boars and staying close to Starting City.

"I need to get stronger…" He exited the church and broke into a jog. "And stronger…" The jog turned into a run. "And stronger!"

"I won't let this world beat me!" KazmaO howled at the top of his lungs as he ran through the night of Starting City, his spirit blazing like a wildfire. He ran past the fountain he once fell into, ignoring a cloaked girl who was inspecting her menu. She looked up as he passed, brown eyes gazing curiously at the running player.

"Eh." She shrugged, and turned back to her menu, going through her contacts, messages and transactions.

* * *

**Man I am churning out this mo-fo like crazy! Hope you all enjoyed the kindling of Kazuma's spirit!**

**Beta'ed by Nameless 2210 and Juubi-k**


	4. Come On Over

**I do not own Sword Art Online nor Summer Wars. Reki Kawahara and Mamoru Hosoda do.**

* * *

_Starting City_

_November 26th 2022_

-X-

"There…all gear repaired," KazmaO commented as he closed his window and turned away from the NPC blacksmith. He sighed heavily and began walking out towards the fields. The previous night after running outside he had looked around for any quests to partake in, and thankfully NPCs didn't exactly feel tired or exhausted and thus were still available to provide some relatively easy starting quests despite the late hour. He'd already completed a couple of such quests, one that included killing some boars which was accomplished last night and another that required finding some…flowers. But now at the comfortable level of 6, the tan-skinned teen felt confident enough to head out beyond the sight of Starting City.

He inspected his new weapon earned from his questing, a One-Handed Sword Broadsword, it was a bit slimmer and lighter than his prior starting sword and had a stat bonus of +2 VIT which all in all made it a nice improvement. His own HP had also increased quite a bit, something he had figured out was due to his increased stats overall with a little help from his Player's Guide and its explanation on how stats were used in SAO. Much like in any RPG, stats were needed to boost one's abilities and there were four available stats: Strength(STR), Agility(AGI), Endurance(END), and Vitality(VIT). Because of his leveling up, he had about twenty-five Skill Points to spend.

STR would increase the attack power of all Axe, Mace, Halberd, Hammer, and Two-Handed Swords. In addition, it also affected in-game strength as well, allowing players to raise heavier and more durable shields for tanking. Therefore, STR was pivotal for damage-soaking aggro-seeking players. It wasn't something he favored as he preferred not to carry those big swords and axes or maces as they just looked too clumsy. Nevertheless, just to round out his build, he already had three points invested during his leveling up.

AGI on the other hand not only increased the attack power of all Fist Weapons, One-Hand Straight Swords, both One and Two-Hand Curved Swords, Spears, and Rapiers, but also increased movement speed and mobility. Both that latter fact and the idea of 'Fist Weapons' intrigued KazmaO, as he would be more comfortable fighting with his Kung-Fu than using a sword. As a result he naturally placed more Skill Points in the AGI stat, about two to three points whenever he leveled up for a total of fifteen so far.

END was…unique in the sense that it increased a player's stamina. Stamina can allow a player to go out questing longer without the feeling of hunger, thirst, or exhaustion. Having a low stat for one's level can make one more easily tired and winded, so KazmaO made sure to invest some points in the stat every other level.

And VIT was easy enough. It increased Health Points, or HP. KazmaO made sure to put at least one point in the stat every time he leveled up.

As his wandering mind completed his review of the stats system, he found himself out in the fields. Clearing his mind and focusing on the tasks ahead of him he began to look over his Quest Log in his main menu as he continued to walk forward.

"Okay…" He pondered as he looked over his quests. "Time to turn in at that farmhouse and try to find other quests and-"

KazmaO suddenly felt two soft pillows cushioning in around his face and in response looked up in confusion. "Hmm?"

And found the amused face of a tall young woman with short brown hair stopping at her ears.

"So you gonna wedge your head out of my breasts or are you feeling comfy down there hun?" She smirked, and KazmaO's eyes widened in shock.

"Waaah!" He screamed in embarrassment as he removed himself from her chest which bounced freely due to his sudden movement. He fell on his bottom, looking up at the woman with his mouth gaping like a fish.

Now that he got a full look of the young woman, he realized that she looked to be in her mid-twenties, with brown hair and eyes, was over 183 centimeters tall, and had two large…watermelons wedged in her red vest and brown long-sleeved shirt. One thing was for sure, she had the figure of a gravure model, and the face of an angel!

"You okay hun?" She asked, offering her hand to the olive-skinned boy. KazmaO nodded as he took her hand and stood up.

"S-Sorry about that!" He bowed deeply at the Amazon. "I was looking at my quest log and didn't see where I was going." His face was a deep pink as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Oh it's fine sweetie," she replied as she patted his head. "I was standing still being an obstacle whilst I was waiting here anyway."

"Waiting? For who?"

The woman smiled down at him. "My husband of course!" KazmaO's eyebrows rose up in surprise, and she clearly took notice, smirking.

"Bummed out to know that I'm already taken?"

"N-No! I mean, it's good to see that you're married!" KazmaO said nervously. "I'm just surprised that I would encounter a married couple in this game. Are you ummm…taking it okay? The whole well…'you die in-game you die IRL' deal…"

"Well…me and my husband have been, well, trying to get by." She shrugged as she leaned against a boulder, arms crossing over her large chest. "We knew we had to get stronger in this game if we are to survive. After all, you won't reach Floor 100 just by staying in bed now can you!?" She smiled optimistically. "My name is Xena. My in-game name of course." She offered her hand. "What about you, hun?"

"KazmaO. It's nice to meet you." He said as he took her hand and shook it. "So, where is your husband at? Starting City?"

"Mmhmm!" She nodded. "He's grabbing some potions and a new weapon for me before we start questing. What quests were you looking over KazmaO-kun?"

"Lemme see…" KazmaO brought up his menu, looking at his completed quest log. "Actually, I was gonna turn in all my quests. I didn't get the chance last night, so I'm all done. Anyways, for the quests themselves… Boar Incursion, On the Field of Flowers, and Middle Mailman." He looked up. "And you?"

"Same! I am gonna share the quests with Herc, my husband's in-game name, when he gets here! Say KazmaO-kun, do you have time to kill?"

"Ummm, sure?" KazmaO shrugged.

"Well, could you show me and Herc where the objectives for those quests are? Besides, you can get some extra EXP when you kill the mobs en route there. And it would be in line with the point of MMOs: partying up with other people!" Xena smiled, tilting her head and smiling. KazmaO caught her enthusiasm, smiling as well.

"You know what, sure thing. You in a party with Herc-san?"

"You betcha! Lemme throw ya an invite." Xena opened up her menu and a window soon popped up in front of KazmaO.

Invite

Do you accept the party invite?

And below the text were two icons. A blue circle and a red X. KazmaO pressed the blue circle, accepting the invite.

Then his eyes went up to the top left corner of his field of vision where he saw that below his own HP bar and name, two other similar HP bars and names had appeared.

Xena Lvl 11

Herc Lvl 11

Next to Xena's icon was a crown of some sort, signifying her as the party leader.

"Okay!" Xena put her hands on her hips. "Now all we need to do is wait for Herc and-"

"Yo!" Yelled out a male voice, making the two party members turn, KazmaO in confusion while Xena grinned and waved.

"Hey! You took your sweet time anata," Xena commented as a male player ran down the road towards them. As he approached them KazmaO was able to get a better look at him and noticed that he was getting bigger as he was getting closer.

_'These two are huge_!' He thought as the one called Herc came up to them. He appeared to be over 200 centimeters tall, had spiky brown hair like his wife but possessed green eyes instead of brown. His physique was muscular and strong, and he was clad in a gray armor chest piece with black trousers, and on his back was a kite shield and a broadsword. He looked like some kind of Greek Gladiator with his gear and physique! He possessed a similar air around him like his wife though that softened the image: optimistic and cheerful. He noticed the much shorter KazmaO and looked down.

"Oh? This is KazmaO-kun I take it?" Asked Herc, hands on his hips. "I was a bit surprised Xena invited someone into our party, but if you are able to get within my wife's good graces, then you're a friend of mine." He smiled and held out his hand. KazmaO offered his own hand, and he felt it being enveloped by the taller player's much larger paw.

_'Huge…_' KazmaO had eyes wide like plates as he shook his hand. "So…I got invited because I had finished some of the quests you guys are taking. And so….yeah."

"Ah thanks!" Herc beamed. "We haven't quested in this area so we need to know the lay of the land and stuff. We already did the east and south regions, so we need to focus on the west."

"Wait, east and south?" Asked KazmaO tilting his head to the side.

"The eastern and southern areas of Starting City," Herc opened up his menu and was looking for something. "We already did the quests in those parts, and now we're gonna focus on the western area, aka here. How many quests have you done in this area?" Xena opened her own menu and after pressing on some icons, a double-bladed axe materialized in her hand.

"Love you~" Xena cooed.

"Uhhh…three?" KazmaO chuckled nervously.

"Three?" Asked Herc. His eyes moved, and KazmaO guessed he must have been looking at his HUD. "Hmm? Level 6? Haven't you done the other areas aside from the Western part?"

"Ummm…Yeah... Before I did the quests I…mindlessly grinded for the past month here in the field." KazmaO blushed and scratched the back of his head. Herc and Xena had wide eyes.

"Killing boars?" Xena questioned.

"Killing boars. But…I figured now was time for a change. What I was doing beforehand wasn't living…I need to get stronger so I can survive in this game and progress forward! Like Xena-san said, you won't get to Floor 100 by moping and griping about it," KazmaO said with resolve. Then he realized what he said and blushed. "Sorry, I…I talked too much there, didn't I?"

"Not at all kiddo," Herc placed a hand on his shoulder. "You realized you wanna move forward on your own two feet. There's nothing wrong with that." His eyes curved up and grinned, showing teeth.

"Now then, let's go questing and get stronger together hmmm?" KazmaO was silent at first, and then nodded.

"Yeah!"

-X-

KazmaO's sword cut through a wolf as it shattered into numerous polygons. Behind him, he heard several more shattering sounds and turned around, seeing Xena's axe outstretched as if she had made a mighty swing.

"Okay, that's the last of 'em," Xena smiled as she wiped her brow. Opening her menu she took a red healing potion and drank it. KazmaO saw her HP bar go from two-thirds full to all green in a second. Herc approached KazmaO from over where Xena was.

Over the last several hours the trio has been speed-questing the western fields, KazmaO briskly walking them through the quests he had and moving onto even more. The result? Loot and Col galore. He'd earned more Col in an hour than he would have grinding boars in over half a day! Then again, having party members helped speed things along, especially when it came to killing mobs.

He'd learned that Xena was a "DPS", using heavy-Two Handed Weapons and judging by her axe, was focusing primarily in STR.

Her husband Herc was a Tank, using his shield to take some of the wolves' blows while he did some average damage himself. He was focusing primarily in VIT, with STR and END getting some love on the side.

During some of the fights Herc and Xena had been impressed by KazmaO's skill at dodging some of the mobs while using his Sword Skills, followed by retreating and waiting to strike when the mob's guard was down. This had led Herc to comment that KazmaO's fighting style was that of an Evasion Tank but KazmaO denied his claim.

"So you're a DPS like Xena? If so, why use one sword?"

"Well…it gives me more freedom I guess?" KazmaO shrugged smiling awkwardly. "I kinda like having a free hand, and besides, I can't dual wield even if I wanted to. And I'm not interested at all in Two-Handed Weapons or shields. So…I'm just sticking with One-Handed Swords for now."

"Well, when you get further into the game, you'll want to specialize in something. Rapiers could be your forte given how you like to poke the enemy and evade, you can even equip a buckler. Those are light and used for defense," commented Herc as the trio walked along the main road to deliver their quests to a farmer NPC in a farmhouse down the road.

"I haven't really found any Rapiers yet…"

"Ever look into the AH?" Asked the voluptuous woman. The tan-skinned boy looked at the taller amazon with a confused expression.

"_Ei…ecchi_?" KazmaO's eye quirked up. Was that like, some bar with waitresses in criminally lewd outfits?

"Auction House. It's the place to find what you need or even make some money for yourself. You can find or sell weapons, armor, trade goods, recipes and materials. It's how I got Xena's axe."

"So is it run by NPCs or something?"

"Not at all. Actually, it's run by several players. They are…sort of like Info Brokers. They are a bunch of players who want to do something to contribute to clearing the game but aren't willing to be on the frontlines. Some of them specialize in sourcing items, both raw materials for the handful of craft players and finished products both crafted and drops..." Herc explained.

"And they put it up for auction?" KazmaO cut in, his interest perked.

"Sometimes. But mostly these 'pickers' pass it onto, at a price of course, dedicated 'auctioneers' who then put the gathered items up for public auction. That way the 'pickers' can spend more time gathering items rather than wasting it managing auctions." Herc replied as he continued with his explanation.

"I take it the 'auctioneers' sell the stuff at a markup to earn some Col for themselves too?" KazmaO said as he tried to reason out the logic behind the AH's set-up.

"Yup!" Xena said jumping into the discussion. "Though they keep things pretty reasonable all things considered. Most of their buyers are more than willing to pay the little bit more to save themselves the hassle of having to go gather the drops themselves."

"Hmm... That makes sense."

"Right?" Herc concurred as he rejoined the conversation. "I've even heard of some people who have started taking on the 'job' of dedicated 'buyers' who go round the auctions that have sprouted up and buy stuff for other players too busy or lazy to come to the auctions themselves on a commission basis."

"I can't imagine being that busy or lazy..." KazmaO muttered to himself.

"True. But it isn't as bad as it sounds. Auctions for rare items can be very competitive you know. So there's no guarantee that you'll win it in the first auction where it comes up. That being the case, rather than wasting time hanging round the auctions just for that one item or even just a handful of items, it makes more sense to just get a guy that's already hanging around to do the bidding for you. Pay him a little for his trouble and it's a win-win." Herc rebutted.

"Ah! That makes sense." KazmaO said finally seeing the logic behind these 'buyers'. "So are the auctions spread out all over the Starting City?"

"At first they were" Xena said in annoyance, hands on her hips. "And that made it such a pain! Having to walk all over the City to make sure you had the best deals. Argh!"

"Thankfully, the 'auctioneers' soon realized this and came to a mutual agreement to gather together in one place to hold their auctions." Herc interrupted before Xena's complaints grew into a full-blown rant. "Nowadays, they gather in the pubs along a specific street in the Southern quarter of the City. The area's been called the AH since then."

"The pubs? Why..." KazmaO began in a puzzled tone, before realization struck him. "Ah! The pubs are public spaces but being indoors is more suited to holding events like an auction where people need to shout out their bids."

"Exactly. If they did it out in an open space like a square or something, then ambient noise or bids from neighboring auctions may mess up the proceedings. It's happened a couple of times already, before they moved into the pubs, from what I heard." Herc replied. "Nowadays, the 'auctioneers' stake out a particular pub in the AH and holds his..."

"Or her" Xena said cutting in with a mischievous smile at Herc.

Herc smiled back before continuing with the explanation. "Or her auction. They manage timeslots too, so that even though a couple of 'auctioneers' tend to use the same pub they never have their auctions at the same time."

"Wow! They sound super organized." KazmaO replied in amazement.

"Of course they are!" Xena said cutting Herc off before he could reply. "If the rumors are correct, the AH crew are planning to set-up a merchant guild in the future so organization like this is a necessary first step."

"A merchant guild? Really?" KazmaO said impressed. Already people were making an effort to help players clear the game, even though Floor 1 hasn't been cleared! He felt a bit guilty deep down what with his moping over the past month, but it only fuelled his fire to help get stronger and advance in this Death Game.

"Yup!" Xena continued, once again pre-empting her husband even as she gave him a playful wink. "Though the word on the street is that they are still hashing out the details of their internal structure, otherwise they would have debuted already."

"What? But the guild formation system hasn't been enabled yet." KazmaO pointed out.

"What's that matter? So they aren't a system-recognized guild, it wouldn't stop them from operating as one and they can rectify it by going formal the moment the system goes live, no? In addition, no doubt they added everyone onto their Friends list so they can keep in contact." Xena replied.

"That's true."

"Enough with the explanations for now, ok?" Herc said suddenly as he spotted their destination up ahead. "We're here. Let's turn in our quest and then head back to the City, we'll show you around the AH then and explain anything we left out. How's that sound?"

"That sounds great! Thank you!" KazmaO said gratefully only to find himself engulfed in a smothering hug from Xena a moment later as she cooed about how cute he was whilst Herc just stood to the side laughing at the whole thing. KazmaO tried desperately to escape her grasp to get some breath, because her chest was suffocating him!

A couple of moments later, Xena finally freed KazmaO and the trio continued on to the farmhouse where they were to turn in their quests. The trio remained silent for several minutes, Herc whistling, KazmaO enjoying the scenery, and Xena inspecting her new axe.

"Say, KazmaO-kun," Xena broke the silence as she looked at the shorter boy. "Mind if I asked ya a question?"

"Hmmm?" KazmaO turned towards her. "Sure."

"Before we all got trapped here, what did you do?" She asked and KazmaO blinked.

"Well…I am a junior high school student, so I went to school. And I had a family back up IRL, a mom, a dad, and a baby sister. Oh, and a giant extended family."

"Little sis, huh?" Asked Herc, he leaned in and whispered into the boy's ear, hand on his shoulder. "So like, you're not like…well…"

"Like what?"

"A sis-con."

Xena had an amused eyebrow raised as KazmaO gawked. "Dude no! She was born this August!"

"Oh!" Herc stepped back a bit. "Well okay, that clears up a lot of things. My bad."

"_Anata_, was that question really necessary? I can tell KazmaO-kun isn't into that sister-stuff like typical Light Novel readers and otaku are into nowadays." As if on cue, she hugged herself, raising her breasts. "Because I have a feeling KazmaO-kun will want a real strong, curvy woman like me~"

"Xena-san please stop," KazmaO sighed. Herc began laughing and slapped the boy on the back.

"Hey, nothing wrong with a fine strong woman with a fine big rack to take care of ya! I know I certainly don't regret it!"

"Of course you wouldn't _anata_, who needs a waify _Yamato Nadeshiko_ when you got a bombshell wife like me!"

The two were laughing and KazmaO sighed, but he couldn't help but smile a little. Deep down he felt rather warm inside. These two reminded him of his extended family, the Jinnouchi Clan. With how quirky they were, they would have fit right into the family.

That solidified his decision, by the time the day is done he was going to add them to his Friends list. Questing with them felt…actually fun. As if he was in a game. The trio turned in their quests, and moved onward down the road.

"Oh!" Xena pointed forward, the sudden movement making her bust bounce and jiggle, much to the blushing KazmaO's embarrassment and the smiling Herc's pleasure. "Hey look! Quest giver!" She started jogging forward and Herc began sprinting after her.

"Come on slow-poke! Don't wanna miss out on my lovely wife running now do ya? Or do you like looking at her from behind~?"

KazmaO's face became red and he ran after the laughing Herc. "Honestly you two! Wait up!" He caught up to the couple as they stood next to an NPC who looked like a farmer of sorts, with a farmhouse behind him down a dirt road. Above his head was the tell-tale sign of an exclamation mark, Xena looked back at her husband and the boy who stood at their side.

"Okay, asking the guy now…" Xena as a window popped up in front of her with the blue circle and red X.

Do you want to begin Cursed Kobolds?

Party Quest: Recommendation of Three or more players.

She pressed on the circle and the neutral farmer's face contorted to panic. "Oh thank you!" The farmer fell onto his knees. "Please you must help me! My daughter…my beautiful daughter Belle…she's been kidnapped by the Kobolds!"

"Kidnapped?" Asked KazmaO. "Are Kobolds a type of mob?"

"So I heard, they're usually up around that big spire," Herc's thumb gestured to the giant stone pillar that connected the ground to the ceiling. "But that's in the northern part of the floor, what are Kobolds doing all the way over here?"

"You can find their footprints out to the west and in that forest!" He pointed west and into a forest. "Please, save my daughter! I'll reward you all handsomely!"

And with a ping, the marker above the farmer's head turned to a question mark and KazmaO inspected his quest log. And there it was:

Cursed Kobolds!

Farmer Duke's daughter, Belle, has been kidnapped by a party of Kobolds who retreated into the forest. Go to the Kobold Camp.

Reward: 3500 col

"It doesn't reward loot?" KazmaO pondered out loud.

"Maybe it's Part 1 of a quest," Xena said aloud. "Like, Part 2 could happen if we get the daughter?"

"That may be the case. Either way, let's get going. The day is still young after all!" Herc commented as the trio began walking west into the woods. They drew their weapons and kept an eye out for any hostile mobs, only noticing some neutral ones. The party walked in a triangle formation, Herc taking point, with Xena to his left and KazmaO to his right.

"See anything?" Xena asked as her head shifted from side to side.

"Nothing yet…" Herc replied. KazmaO remained silent until he noticed some movement in the bushes.

"Got something!" KazmaO lifted his sword and prepared a Sword Skill, his blade glowing green as he gave a spinning leap as something burst out of the bushes.

And a red-skinned creature with a tail and long ears was sent flying into a tree, a red gash along its chest. It also had a metal helmet and a loincloth of sorts. The creature rose back up, wielding a dagger and the words Ruined Kobold Scout appeared above its head.

"I got more contacts!" Herc yelled out as KazmaO turned his head, seeing four more of the similar mobs slink out of the forest to confront them. "I got these guys! Xena, get ready to switch on my mark!"

"Got it!"

KazmaO turned back towards the Ruined Kobold Scout in front of him and kept his sword up. "I'll kill this one and join ya shortly!" KazmaO readied his sword and charged, sword glowing blue, and to his surprise…

The mob's dagger glowed yellow! And parried his strike!

"They can use Sword Skills too!?" KazmaO yelled in surprise. The Scout then leapt towards him, and KazmaO recovered from his stupefaction and sidestepped the strike, slashing the mob in the back. The creature let out a pained cry and a red gash opened up on its back. But it recovered and the dagger glowed red. KazmaO charged again, using a spinning leap, his sword glowing green.

The sounds of blades clashing met his ears as his arm recoiled from the strike, so did the Kobold for that matter. But the mob recovered first and prepared to shiv KazmaO.

With memories of the OZ FC and his IRL experiences against bullies coming forth, KazmaO sidestepped and parried the jabs, but he felt several hit his body and his heart raced. His HP bar got some knicks down, but KazmaO calmed himself as he stepped away to give himself some distance. The Kobold then lunged and the boy ducked. He got close to the mob who had tried a flying lunge, his sword glowing purple, and he thrust at the off-balance mob.

He struck true, goring the screeching Kobold in the chest as his sword emerged from its back. The mob then shattered into numerous polygons. The tan-skinned boy panted…that had been his first serious fight. It was his first fight against something other than easy-to-read boars or wolves…but monsters who could utilize Sword Skills like the players.

He heard the sounds of battle go on behind him and he turned around, sword at the ready as he ran into the melee. Herc was tanking hits behind his shield.

"Xena!" Herc gave a mighty shield blow, staggering two Kobolds. "Switch!"

The amazon ran in, both hands on her mighty axe as it glowed red, and she roared as she did a horizontal slash, sending the two stunned Kobolds flying and crashing against the trees. They shattered into polygons moments later.

"Xena-san!" Yelled out KazmaO's voice "Behind you!" Xena turned around, seeing a Ruined Kobold Scout holding a dagger in a reverse grip and ready to backstab her. The blow never came as KazmaO charged forward with a lunging strike, sword glowing blue, and pinned the mob to a tree. KazmaO gave off a yell as he pulled out the sword and began to hack away at the stunned mob, slowly whittling its HP…

Until the whirring sound again came and KazmaO's couldn't dodge a Sword Skill thrust into his stomach, and the boy staggered back, seeing his HP bar drop to the yellow. The mob recovered and held his dagger with both hands, the weapon glowing yellow and KazmaO had his hand on his mid-section, trying to stumble away in fear.

"Not so fast!" Herc came charging in with a glowing green Sword Slash, hacking off the Kobold's arms as the mob shrieked in pain, falling to its knees. Xena then lunged forward, axe glowing red as she roared…

And decapitated the last mob with a mighty downward swing, the head of the mob falling to KazmaO's feet. There was no blood, only red glowing particles where its head had been. And both body and head shattered into polygons.

KazmaO was too stunned to notice that he was glowing and that a window had popped up in front of him.

Congratulations! You have leveled up!

Level 7

You have earned Five Skill Points!

"Oui! KazmaO-kun!" Herc ran over and kneeled down close to the boy's level. "You okay?"

KazmaO blinked and looked back at the concerned older man. "Y-Yeah…I was just…I got…"

"Relax," Herc put a hand on his shoulder. "You got spooked getting into the yellow area, didn't ya? First time you've fought mobs like these?"

"Y-Yes…" KazmaO gulped and nodded. "It was."

"Well in that case, a word of advice. While it was good of you to hold off that other mob for my sake, you're not built to take hits," Herc said. "I mean, you did good dodging, but that only helps against animals or against mobs that you know the attack patterns of. This was the first time you've ever met a mob who can use Sword Skills, so you got clammy and shocked."

"More like I choked…" KamzaO said in a low tone. He felt ashamed. He was too underleveled to possibly take part in this quest and he was going to drag them down, and may even get him and them killed!

"I wouldn't call 'saving my life from a critical backstab' choking," Xena walked forward, hand on her hip as she holstered her axe. "You did really well. Besides, this was your first real battle, you'll learn."

KazmaO blushed under the smiles of the married couple. "T-Thanks…I…I really want to get stronger in this world…and yet I don't wanna slow you down and-"

"You're not slowing us down at all KazmaO-kun!" Xena knelt down and began to pet his head. "You just got a little stage fright. It happened to me and Herc when we faced some low level bandits out in the east."

"Yeah, you'll adapt to it." Herc gave him a thumbs up. "Oh, and thanks a lot for saving my wife's life! I owe ya a drink for sure now!"

"Uhhh…they serve drinks here?" KazmaO's eye quirked up, now suitably distracted from his previous line of self-defeating thought.

"Mmhmmm! First thing we're gonna do when we head back to Starting City or any village we come across," Xena stood up, her chest bouncing and she pumped her fist into the air. "Is get some ale and beer!"

"I'm underage."

"What your parents don't know won't hurt ya!" Herc's arm reached around the boy and brought him in, the teen's head up against Herc's breastplate. "Besides, ever wanted to taste some nice booze?"

"No."

"Hey Xena, we're taking him bar hopping. Sound like a plan?"

"Don't I have a say in this?"

"Sounds like a plan!"

"I'm fourteen!"

KazmaO's cheeks puffed up as he blushed, the two adults having fun at his expense. He looked away and his eyes caught something.

"Hey guys," KazmaO spoke up as he walked over, kneeling down to examine some footprints in the dirt. "Footprints."

Herc placed hands on his hips. "Guess we know where to go then. This will lead us to that camp the Log mentioned."

"Thanks Captain Obvious," KazmaO rolled his eyes standing up. He opened his menu and retrieved a health potion, drinking it and waiting for his health bar to return to a hundred percent.

"Okay, let's get going," Herc had his sword and shield at the ready. "I'll take point. Xena, KazmaO, watch my six."

"_U~otchi mai shikkusu_?" KazmaO's eyebrow rose up in confusion at the English term. Herc looked back at him and leveled his arm in front of him.

"12 o'clock." He pointed it right. "3 o'clock." And pointed behind him. "6 o'clock."

KazmaO's mouth opened in an "Oh" and he nodded. Finished with his brief moment of realization, he readied himself by raising his sword into a loose guard and they proceeded deeper into the forest, following the tracks.

The trip was uneventful save for two more Ruined Kobold Scouts, which went down easily at the might of the party. Before long they found themselves at a clearing at the center of which was a crudely made camp with a cage at the far side.

"That must be where the daughter is," Herc said aloud. "I will take the lead." He passed through the bushes, eyes alert and ready for any enemy mobs. The brown haired man's caution was rewarded as three Ruined Kobold Scouts charged out of the camp, daggers raised.

"Leave these guys to me! KazmaO, get ready to switch on Xena's mark!" He yelled as he ran in, shield raised.

"G-Got it!" KazmaO followed the running Xena. "Xena-san. What's 'Switch'?"

"Whenever our tank does a stunning blow or needs a break, a DPS character like us can switch in and get in some of our heavy hitting or stunning Sword Skills. This can give the tank enough time to down a health potion and charge back into the fray." Xena explained as she readied her axe, standing several meters behind the brown haired man that was her husband. Herc blocked some strikes and returned with several jabs of his own. KazmaO nodded as he understood the terminology. It was like the Tag-Team Division in the OZ FC and Pro Wrestling.

Herc gave off a yell and his shield glowed blue, striking two Kobolds, stunning them as they staggered. "Switch!"

Xena and KazmaO readied their weapons and charged, Xena with a horizontal slash and KazmaO with a lunging thrust. Both gave off grunts as their attacks hit, Xena's target being sent flying and shattering into polygons and KazmaO's landing on the ground. In the corner of his eye, he saw another Kobold charge at Herc, who was about to drink a potion. KazmaO leapt into the fray and parried the mob's strike, the two caught in a deadlock. KazmaO felt strength rise within him and he shoved the mob away.

"Switch!" He yelled.

"Atta boy!" Herc praised as he came charging in and did a Two-Hit combo, sword glowing green causing the Kobold to slump to the ground and promptly shatter into polygons.

"Anyone need to drink up?" Asked Herc.

"All good," the voluptuous brunette gave her husband a thumbs up.

"Still at full."

"Alright. Let's roll!" With that quick sound-off, the trio jogged into the campground and approached the bonfire.

There a pack of unfamiliar mobs waited. Looming over the flames were two Ruined Kobold Rangers, both wielding scimitars and wearing leather cloaks, and lounging on a stool between the two Rangers was another Kobold, clearly the leader of this band, it was equipped with heavier armor than any of the previous Kobolds they'd encountered and was armed with a wooden shield and a wicked One-Handed Curved Sword,. Spotting them, the heavily armored Kobold gave off a shriek and two health bars appeared over its head. What was odd was that the second health bar looked like it was one-fourth of a bar.

Suddenly their quest logs pinged and the trio was gifted with a window, and the rush of Col entering their pockets.

(Congratulations)! Quest: Cursed Kobolds! cleared!

New Quest unlocked!

Defeat the Kobold Raiders!

Belle is in the clutches of the Ruined Kobold Captain. Kill the Captain, save her, and return her to Duke's Farm.

Reward: 2000 col and a choice of one of the items listed below:

_Kobold Captain Talwar_

_Grieves of the Kobold Captain_

_Guardsman's Rapier_

_Shield of the Militia_

The words Ruined Kobold Captain appeared over the elite mob's head and he gave off a shrilling cry, and the two Rangers charged, the Captain not too far behind.

"I got the elite mob!" Herc raised his shield. "Can you both burn down the adds?"

"On it!" KazmaO didn't need to ask what an 'add' was, short for 'add-on' or 'addition'. He leveled his sword and ran towards the nearest Ranger. With a roar his sword clashed against the Ranger, and the boy shoved the Kobold away and avoided a fast retaliatory side slash. KazmaO lunged, sword glowing purple, but the Kobold dodged and retaliated by slashing him in the arm! Wincing, he saw his HP bar go down a bit, even as he was overcome by the realization that these new mobs could both dodge and counterattack!

_'This AI really is amazing_!' KazmaO thought. _'I need to find an opening quick or Herc won't last long!_' Determined, he continued to attack as he gave off swing after swing, only for the Kobold to parry each attack, counterattack by slashing him, and stepping closer to the bonfire, thereby placing itself with its back pressed against it. Capitalizing on the mob's poor choice of position, KazmaO did a spinning lunge and caused the Kobold to fall into the fire. Followed an instant later by it jumping up with a shriek, and proceeding to run around in a panic as it desperately tried to put out the fire burning its clothes. As it did, he noticed the HP bar of the mob beginning to whittle down with a box next to it that had a small flame inside it.

"Hey guys!" He yelled out. "Try angling the mobs towards the bonfire!" KazmaO yelled out as he returned his attention to the Ranger that had just recovered from having been set on fire. He leveled his sword and lunged, goring the Kobold and throwing it to the ground. He heard the sound of another Kobold Ranger crying in pain, most likely in response to having been thrown into the bonfire by Xena.

"Take that ya rat!" Yelled Xena, and KazmaO smiled to himself even as he ran towards the recovering Kobold and jumped, going for an overhead slash as his sword glowed red. Roaring, KazmaO brought the sword down, even as the Kobold raised its sword to defend. The powerful blow, even partially defended against, was enough to cause the Kobold to become stunned, something that KazmaO exploited with a horizontal slash. As KazmaO's attack connected, the Kobold gave off a death cry and exploded into polygons. The tan-skinned boy turned around and noticed Herc trying to weather out the Kobold Captain's blows. In his HUD, KazmaO noticed his HP was in the yellow, and Xena was still green, but had some health missing.

"Coming!" KazmaO sprinted, running around the boss and towards Xena. "Xena-san! Switch!"

"Aren't you the eager one!" Grinned Xena as she parried a scimitar slash. "I love that in a man!" She struck the Ranger's weapon and staggered it. "Switch!"

KazmaO roared as he leapt, and did his spinning lunge, his sword glowing green as he hit the Kobold and sent it flying to the ground. "Switch!"

Xena rushed back, and with her axe by her side, gave a mighty side-slash and cut the Kobold in half! It shattered into polygons and she turned around, focusing on the last of the mobs, the elite Captain mob.

"Let's get that sucker!" Xena called out, and KazmaO nodded, the two of them charging towards the Ruined Kobold Captain, whose smaller HP bar was gone and its remaining bar with only about three-quarters left. Herc looked behind him and smiled.

"About time!" He took a blow from the Captain with his shield and pushed off, jumping back as Xena and KazmaO charged. "Switch!"

The two yelled as they attacked, Xena with an overhead slash and KazmaO with a side slash. Xena's strike was blocked but KazmaO's hit, striking the elite mob in the stomach and having it fall into the fire. It rolled out of the fire, trying to put out the fires licking its clothes and thereby get rid of the flame affliction that it had just picked up but the two Players wouldn't have any of it. The tan-skinned boy did a lunging thrust, goring the elite mob in its side while Xena wedged her axe into its back. Herc then came back into the fray, his HP once again in the green, with a roar.

"Eat a million years of suffering and despair!" he roared as he thrust his sword right up it's...

KazmaO winced as he heard the Kobold shriek, almost sympathizing with it, and Herc laughed. "Did you really need to stab it up its butt?"

"Come on! The opportunity presented itself! You think I could ever get a chance like this again?" Grinned the brown haired tank as the two stepped back, as the weakened elite mob staggered to its feet. Herc charged in and gave it a shield bash, only to be blocked by the enemy's shield, but KazmaO was already behind it, and yelling again as he performed his spinning lunge Sword Skill.

'I'm getting really used to this,' he thought as he struck the monster in the back. Xena was at its side and swinging at its arm, chopping it off and causing the Kobold to fall to his knees…

Only to get a thrust from Herc's sword right in its face, the death blow causing it to shatter into polygons. A window popped up in front of the trio.

Congratulations! Quest: Defeat the Kobold Raiders! Cleared!

Loot distributed amongst party. Check your inventory!

"Alright!" Herc shouted exuberantly as he flipped his sword in the air and caught it. "Elite Quest Complete!"

KazmaO felt the joy of the victory flow within him as he whooped as well, pumping his fist in the air.

Herc offered his hand. "Skin me!"

As the two high-fived, Xena walked up to join them, giggling to herself. Suddenly, the two adults glowed.

Congratulations! You have leveled up!

Level 12

You have earned Five Skill Points!

"And leveling up to boot!" Herc turned to high-five Xena, which she returned. He looked back towards KazmaO. "And you did great! See what happens when you overcome a little stage fright?"

"Well, to be honest, I was rather scared," KazmaO blushed and sheathed his sword. "I thought I was gonna be a goner but the adrenaline I felt…"

"You really grew up over this last hour, KazmaO-kun." Xena placed a hand on his shoulder. "You've done an outstanding job. Besides, you showed bravery back there. Being brave AND scared at the same time takes balls." The tan-skinned boy's face turned a deep pink. Herc only chuckled, grinning ear to ear.

"Excuse me?" Said a meek but cute voice, earning their attention. "Are you my rescuers?" Said the blonde haired farm girl trapped inside the cage.

"Oh yeah! Gotta free her first! Who's got the key?" Herc opened up his menu and inspected his inventory. "Oh wait I do. So, what did you guys get? I got…" He clicked around his menu, and a new wooden shield materialized on his shield arm where his kite shield once was.

"I got new a new skirt!" Xena tinkered around with her menu, and her normal trousers turned into a metal skirt of sorts. "KazmaO-kun?"

"Well, I got a new cape of sorts. Still, I felt like I slowed you all down," KazmaO felt a bit down. "I mean, I didn't kill my enemy fast enough and Herc-san's HP was in the yellow. Any longer and-"

"Don't worry about it. Besides, you learned a lot and saved my wife's life." He wrapped an arm around his wife. "I don't think we could have done this quest without your help."

"Well the quest did say three people required at the least." Commented the tan-skinned boy. "You could have gotten another more experienced player than me."

"We wouldn't have wanted to party with anyone but you KazmaO-kun," Xena grinned ear to ear. "I gotta say, you're fun to be around! Not like some creepy otakus or NEETs who can't stop oogling me. Granted though…it's sort of okay if you do it."

"Excuse me? Are you my rescuers?" Said the NPC again.

KazmaO blushed under the praise and pretended to not have heard her latter comment. "T-That's the first I've heard it…" Trying to distract himself from the embarrassing, and in his opinion undeserved praise, he turned his attention away from the conversation and focused instead on the loot he'd received, a Kobold Captain's Cape. +6 VIT, +3 END, and +2 AGI and +2 STR. Talk about a coup!

"So, where do we go? Back to Starting City after we turn in the quest?" Asked the boy.

"Actually, I heard rumors of a town a bit to the northeast we could stop at. Besides, you can get new quests there for the north area. We need to do the north area when we get a chance as well," the woman replied as Herc walked over to unlock the cage.

"Well…I might have to do more quests here in the Western edge of the floor," KazmaO tried to decline as he rubbed his arm a bit.

"Well, to be fair all the quests that are closest to Starting City and spread outward are of a similar level. We did similar one-man quests out in the eastern and southern areas of Floor 1, and we'll soon be complete with the western part, so why not go full circle?"

"Well…okay, I'll check out the town then," the tan skinned boy said. "Though I'll probably stick to completing quests in the western part of Floor 1, then head over and do the north, then east, then south near Starting City."

"Okay! Got the girl," Herc gestured with his thumb to the farm girl NPC who was following close behind him, hands clasped and looking grateful and peachy keen. "You guys ready?"

"Yeah, drop off NPC, get rewards, and head to the town. So, what reward you plan on getting with the quest? I already got a sweet shield," Herc said gesturing to his newest item.

"I suppose to round out my set I will go for the grieves," Xena replied.

"I'm leaning towards either the Talwar or the Rapier myself. Say, what was the town's name called anyway? The one we're going to after we turn in the NPC," Asked KazmaO as they began to walk out of the camp. Xena brought a finger to her lips.

"I think its name was Tolbana…"

-X-

_Tolbana_

"Okay people! Now that everyone's here, let's get this meeting started!" Said the player in the bottom of the amphitheater. Kirito took a seat up near the up of the top, giving him a view of the players below him.

Today was the day. Someone had found the Floor Boss Dungeon and a raid was being formed in order to enter the dungeon, defeat the boss, and progress to the second floor. After a month of stagnant progress, finally they were going to go on the offensive and be one step closer to escaping from this death game.

It has been a very conflicting November thus far for the black haired Beta Tester. Since leaving Klein in Starting City, he had ventured forth to find the best quests he knew from his knowledge of the Beta to increase his chances of surviving. During the course of which he had narrowly survived a MPK, or Monster Player Kill, from a greedy Beta Tester named Copper. Kirito managed to survive, but Copper hadn't been so lucky. Thankfully he got the sword he coveted the most: The Anneal Blade from the quests he had been taking. By this point he had finished nearly all of the quests on Floor 1 as well, primarily in the Eastern, Southern, and Northern areas, and some of the Western area quests as well. Then he had heard the news of the Floor Dungeon being found.

It was located north near the giant spire that connected the ground to the ceiling, and Kirito felt stupid for not thinking that through in the first place, and he was sure that many of the other Beta Testers did as well. In the Beta there was no indication of where the Floor Boss Dungeon was, but it seemed that the most logical area would be the spire that connects the Floors to one another. No, Kayaba has practically given them a gimme that was right in front of them but they hadn't even considered that possibility. Talk about overthinking it.

Regardless, Kirito paid attention to the blue-haired player down below.

"So anyway, I wanna thank everyone for coming. Good to see you," the player said. "My name is Diabel and in this game," he proudly pet his fist against his chest and smiled. "The job I chose is a knight!"

That brought out some laughs from the crowd. "Dude there's no job system in this game!" Said a player amongst the murmuring. The player known as Diabel held his hands up to quiet down the crowd. He sighed and closed his eyes.

"Hey do you guys wanna hear this or not?" He reopened his eyes, his face no longer looking joyous and comedic but serious and stern. "Right. Anyway, here's the deal. Our party found the boss room at the spire today."

The crowd was surprised, murmuring breaking out. Kirito raised his eyebrow.

_'Did he really just stumble over the boss room? That just seems a tad too coincidental_.' he thought to himself. _'Maybe he's a Beta Tester acting on his knowledge from the Beta_?'

"First, we need to defeat the boss and make it to Floor 2," Diabel said, interrupting Kirito's growing suspicions about Diabel's status. "Second, we need to tell everyone in Starting City that it IS possible to beat this game!" He gripped his fist and addressed the crowd, like a natural leader. "Everyone present here shares this duty! Don't you all agree?"

There was silence at first, before the sound of applause began to ring out. Kirito smiled a little and deep down, he did agree with Diabel. They needed to inspire hope for those who had none in the Starting City that this place wasn't their eternal prison. Escape was possible!

He thought back to that one player who was with him and Klein during the tutorial, and how devastated he was. He could sympathize, he had seen his own mother on one of the screens Kayaba had displayed and had felt devastated by the thought of possibly never seeing her or Sugu again, like how that playermust have felt at seeing his own mother. He couldn't fall into despair like that player did though, he needed to preserve. He needed to do this for all the players like him, so that they could reunite with their families. So that he could see his family again, to see Suguha again. He smiled as he rested his head on his palm.

"Okay!" Diabel quieted down the whistles and cheers. "Then let us begin our planning. First, we'll divide into parties of six."

"Wha?" Kirito gulped, shocked at the notion. Parties? Oh dear…

Murmuring and talking broke out amongst the players as they were setting up the groups for the raid. Kirito felt clammy as he looked around, seeing other players bonding quickly, while he was on his lonesome. Some were even beginning invites!

As a solo player, the black haired player…never really liked parties, both back in the Beta and in regular SAO. He preferred working on his own, but to work with others? Being accountable? The responsibility?

_'Oh man…oh well, it's for those players, better suck it up. It's not like they will MPK anyone like Copper almost did.'_

"An ordinary party has no chance against a Floor Boss," Diabel continued. "We'll need to form a Raid using multiple parties."

By the time Diabel was finished, everyone has partied up, leaving Kirito out in the cold. The teen looked around, trying to find any people that were not in a group. Looking to his left, he noticed a player, like himself, sitting all alone in a maroon cloak and white stockings. As Kirito scooted closer, he noticed the player carrying a Rapier of sorts.

"You got left out too?" Asked Kirito.

"I wasn't left out," replied the player, the voice identifying her as a girl. She seemed introverted and quiet judging by her tone. "I just stayed out of it because everyone seemed to know each other already."

"A solo player huh? In that case, want to party up with me?" The female turned her head towards him.

"He said we can't beat the boss on our own, so we need to work together. So just for this fight?" Asked the black haired teen. The girl remained silent, but nodded.

Kirito opened his menu and before long, he invited her into his party. She accepted and he saw the female player's HP bar pop up under his own.

Asuna Level 12

"Alright, parties are set?" Asked Diabel. "Then-"

"Hold on a second!" Shouted a loud voice, interrupting the blue haired player. Everyone looked up at the top of the amphitheater and saw a player hop down the steps before landing on the stage. He was a gruff-looking male with spiked brown-orange hair and a goatee, and had a Two-Handed Straight Sword strapped to his back. He opened his brown eyes and pointed at himself. "My name's Kibaou got that?" He snarled. "Before we go tackle the boss, there's something I need to get off my chest."

_'Well ain't he an aggressive guy_,' thought Kirito to himself.

"We all know about the two thousand people who died so far yeah?" Asked Kibaou as he turned towards the crowd. "Well some of you need to apologize to them right now!" He pointed right at the crowd.

Kirito narrowed his eyes but he felt uneasy. He knew where this was going…He'd heard rumors, bad rumors, from Argo.

"Kibaou," Diabel cut in. "I think I know who you're referring to. You mean the ex-Beta Testers correct?"

"Of course I mean them!" Kibaou yelled. "The day this stupid-ass game started, the Beta guys just up and left, leaving all us beginners to ourselves! They found all the best and easiest quests and all the good grinding spots." He continued on his diatribe. "They were the only ones getting stronger, while they have been ignoring us greenhorns and rookies like we were garbage and we have lost two thousand innocent lives because of their greed and selfishness." He waved his hand in front of his face. He reopened his eyes, teeth bared in a snarl and his visage foul.

He shook his fist at the crowd. "Hell, I bet there's some of them here right now! Get your asses out here front and center ya goddamn Betas!" He pointed his arm to one direction. "We should make them apologize to us! Make them beg!" He pointed the opposite direction with his other arm. "And give us all their loot and money too!" He crossed his arms in smug satisfaction, as if he knew everything. "You can't expect the raid to trust them when they don't trust us. Why should we?!"

Kirito gripped his hands on his lap and swallowed a lump in his throat. There was truth to what Kibaou said. After the tutorial a large majority of the Beta Testers went off on their own with an _'every man for_ _themselves'_ mentality, leaving all the new players to fend for themselves. That was part of the reason why two thousand players, a good majority of them rookies to MMOs and children, had died so far. Their selfishness and unwillingness to help others had resulted in major consequences.

_'And I'm one of them…_' He thought darkly of himself.

The reason he went off on his own and not party with Klein and his friends was because of a problem that had plagued him even IRL. People. He felt uneasy around others. He felt like he didn't belong around other people and felt more comfortable staying in his room playing games or going solo. He didn't want to burden anyone, and he didn't want anyone being a burden to him.

Kirito felt the guilt begin to take over, causing him to shudder and grit his teeth. Should he come forth and admit he was a Beta? Should he hand over his Col and Anneal Blade as an apology? Should he?

"Can I say somethin'?" Drawled a deep voice, non-Japanese judging by the accent. Kirito opened his eyes and saw a dark-skinned player with a double-bladed axe lifting his hand. The player stood up and walked down to the stage, right in front of Kibaou, who took a small step back.

_'He's huge_!' Kirito thought to himself. He was towering over the now slightly intimidated Beta-bigot.

"Hey. My name's Agil," said the player, who had distinct African-American features about him. What was a foreigner doing in a Japanese VRMMO? Was he a Marine on Okinawa? An English Teacher? Kirito thought up a myriad of possibilities as to why a rarity like him was in this death game.

"Kibaou right?" Asked Agil, his tone cordial but stern. "I wanna make sure I'm on the same page. You say the Betas should be blamed for the rookie's deaths because they didn't help them, and you want them to apologize and give up their loot as compensation, I miss anything?"

"For a _gaijin_, you do good Japanese," commented Kibaou. "And no you didn't. What's your point?" He narrowed his eyes. If Agil was insulted by the derogatory word for foreigner he made no sign of it, he reached into his sack and pulled out the Player's Guide.

"The item store and some players were handing these out for free. The Player's Guide book, you got one didn't you?"

"Of course I got one. So what about it?"

"The players that were making these books and handing them out? They were ex-Beta Testers," Agil said resolutely.

Murmuring and talking broke out amongst the crowd, many players were once again surprised by this development. Kibaou growled but kept his tongue.

Agil turned around, showing that he had a strong physique, a beard on his chin, and piercings on his left ear. He addressed the crowd. "Now listen up, everyone had equal access to this information, even so, lots of players still died. Now I didn't come here to point fingers and start a witch hunt, I came here because I wanted to learn from those players' deaths and beat the boss so we can get to the next floor, and be one step closer to getting out of this prison." He turned back around, looking down at the shorter Kibaou, who gave him a look and scoffed, walking to the steps and taking a seat crossing his arms as he sulked. Agil sat next to him soon after.

"Okay," Diabel reached into his pack and pulled out the same Player's Guide. "Can we get back to the meeting now?" He held the book in the air. "The latest edition of the guide book has all the info on the first boss." That got everyone's attention.

"The boss's name is…" Kirito felt a pair of eyes looking at him and turned his head around as Diabel began his explanation. His eyes widened, there standing by one of the columns was…

"That guy from the square…" He said to himself lightly. It was true, it was the same olive-skinned player that had looked utterly defeated, seemingly having given into despair back during Kayaba's sick joke of a tutorial. He was observing the meeting from his position, and there was something about him that was different…he even had new gear and a cape of sorts.

_'He went out questing after all_.' He felt a small grin tug at his lips. _'Good for him_.' For someone like him who had given into despair but had somehow managed stand up on his own two feet again to get stronger and to progress through the game gave Kirito hope.

"What guy?" Asked Asuna to his left as Diabel continued outlining the strategy for the raid. Kirito wasn't paying attention, he could get filled in later by her on the way to the boss room. He picked up "Ilfang" and "Talwar" though.

"Oh, nothing. What did Diabel say?"

"The Boss is called Ilfang the Kobold Lord. It has minions called Ruined Kobold Sentinels and uses an axe and buckler. Diabel says that when his HP hits red on his last HP bar he will switch to a weapon called a Talwar and his attack pattern would change." Kirito filed the information away for review later and turned to try to spot that same tan-skinned player from the tutorial…

"He's gone." The player was no longer there.

"That's it for the briefing." Diabel said as he closed his Player's Guide. "As for the loot distribution, Col will be divided equally among everyone. The party that defeats the boss, gets the EXP. Whoever gets an item, gets to keep it or they can give it away if they desire."

"Any objections?" Asked Diabel, hands on his hips. There were none.

"Good! We meet up here at ten in the morning on December 3rd! Do some extra farming or questing for any potions, EXP, and gear! Plus, this will give you time to bond with your party members and form synergy so make good use of our time till then!" He threw one hand to the side. "Meeting adjourned!"

Kirito heard Asuna stand up and leave, her maroon cloak pillowing as she left. He also turned towards the spot where that one player had been was. He stood up and followed after her, leaving the amphitheater and head turning, trying to find wherever that player was.

He shrugged, no use crying over spilt milk or missing out on speaking to a player. Kirito turned towards Asuna. "Hey."

The girl stopped, turning around to face him. She said nothing but waited for him to speak.

"Since we're going our separate ways for now, wanna exchange contacts?"

"Contacts?" She asked curiously.

"Yeah, Friend List and stuff. That way we can keep in touch with one another come Raid day." Asuna remained silent, and then she opened up her menu.

"Sure."

* * *

**Big thanks to Vandenbz for beta'ing. Same with Juubi-K as well. In addition, big thanks to Nameless2210/Domow for doing the AH part.**

**Now I went ahead and changed some things, mainly in the HP bars and stuff. It was curious why someone's level wasn't shown next to their HP bar when in a party, so I made that adjustment. Naturally, this will come to circle when the Black Cats come to town.**

**In addition, the whole Parameters issue was confusing as hell to make sense out of and to explain, so I went ahead with typical MMO stats(STR and AGI) and stats from the Greatest Game of All Time Anytime, Dark Souls(VIT and END) and mixed them together.**

**Also, I pushed back the clock a bit, so that people who will be raiding together will have time to get to know one another and build synergy. Of course, this means some teamwork with Asuna and Kirito early on before Ilfang. And rest assured, Kirito hasn't be hijacked. It's just that he is a deuteragonist alongside KazmaO/Kazuma.**

**Also, as for Herc's and Xena's designs, the former is based off of another well known Tank character and the other is based off of the heroine in the hentai doujin The Trigger Was XX.**


End file.
